The EU Alcohol Strategy – A UK Government view Crispin Acton 9 June, 2015

Trends in the UK Annual Alcohol Consumption per UK Resident 1900-2010 2 4 6 8 10 12 1900 1905 1910 1915 1920 1925 1930 1935 1940 1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 Sources: 1. HM Revenue and Customs clearance data 2. British Beer and Pub Association 3. Office for National Statistics mid-year population estimates Pure Alcohol (litres) Coolers/FABs Spirits Wine Cider Beer

… alcohol related admissions & deaths have been rising in England

Alcohol Consumption - Europe

European Mortality – Liver Disease

Levels of binge drinking among 15-16 year olds in the UK compare poorly with many other European countries Binge drinking in 15-16 year old students in Europe, defined as 5+ drinks on a single occasion, 3 or more times in 30 days Source: ESPAD 2007 (Hibbell et al 2009). The data for Denmark and Spain has limited comparability.

EU Alcohol Strategy: what has it achieved? Based on the official evaluation findings: Influenced more common approaches to reduce drink-driving, and On preventing under age purchases Progress on a common evidence base, although challenges remain on comparable data; EU research funding helpful Informing and educating the public – hard to measure success (Alcohol & Health Forum commitments) No clear progress on reducing harm in the workplace

Why a new EU Alcohol Strategy? Does it matter? By global standards, harm in the EU from alcohol is high, despite recent reductions in average consumption By UK standards, harm is at unacceptable levels This means harm to individuals’ health, also social harms to people other than the drinker, and damage to the economy

Why a new EU Alcohol Strategy? What has changed to require a new Strategy? Some trends towards convergence between Member States, but diversity is still important WHO Global Strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol, 2010; WHO European Alcohol Action Plan, 2011 The evidence on harm and effective policies has deepened: ‘Alcohol in the European Union: Consumption, harm and policy approaches’ (WHO Europe and the European Union, 2012)

Why a new EU Alcohol Strategy? What has changed to require a new Strategy (2)? The cross sector nature of effective strategies is clear WHO Global Strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol: ‘Sustainable action requires strong leadership and a solid base of awareness and political will and commitment. The commitments should ideally be expressed through adequately funded comprehensive and intersectoral national policies that clarify the contributions, and division of responsibility, of the different partners involved.’ Alcohol strategies need to be comprehensive, to address the range of harms; many parties have responsibilities and this needs coordination

What would be the added value from a new EU Alcohol Strategy? Member States have the primary responsibility for public health in the Treaty, which also recognises the importance of protecting public health The cross sector nature of effective policies also tells us something about what the purpose of a new EU alcohol strategy should be ‘Health in all Policies’ matters for alcohol policy The EU is widely involved in alcohol policies, for trade and other purposes

What would be the added value from a new EU Alcohol Strategy? Work within CNAPA to scope a future strategy. We see the main added value as: Addressing ‘health in all policies’ within current EU rules and areas of competence While taking account of the WHO Global Strategy on evidence for effective policies Member States want a new Strategy that is ambitious

What would be the added value from a new EU Alcohol Strategy? There are some things only the EU can do This means supporting Member States on ‘cross-border issues’: Considering flexibility or changes in some existing EU rules Harnessing the power of EU funded research; developing comparable data Issues where it is hard for Member States to act individually, e.g. on-line advertising, labelling

What would be the added value from a new EU Alcohol Strategy? ‘The UK Government would have reservations if a new EU alcohol strategy were to impose regulatory action across all Member States, especially in areas such as availability of alcohol (licensing), which should be matters for Member States. On the other hand, we would not wish EU policies, or the emphasis on free trade within the EU, to imply a lowest common denominator approach to national alcohol policies. Where the needs of a population justify specific policies, including innovative policies like the alcohol minimum unit price legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament, we believe EU institutions should be flexible enough to accommodate these where a clear case is made.’ Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union: Health (July 2013)