Alcohol firms would lose £13bn annually if drinkers followed health recommendations

Annual revenues from alcohol sales would fall by £13bn in the UK if customers stuck to recommended drinking limits, a new study by Academics from the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) and the University of Sheffield’s Alcohol Research Group found.

The study condemns the industry’s resistance to measures that tackle harmful consumption and reveals the interest producers and retailers have in influencing government policy on risky drinking.

Research found that if every consumer stuck to the recommended 14 units of alcohol a week, sales would fall by 38%. This would force companies to raise pint prices in pubs by £2.64 and the average price of a bottle of spirits in supermarkets by £12.25.

Aveek Bhattacharya, a policy analyst at the institute and lead author, said: "Alcohol causes 24,000 deaths and over 1.1m hospital admissions each year in England, at a cost of £3.5bn to the NHS.

"Yet policies to address this harm, like minimum unit pricing and raising alcohol duty, have been resisted at every turn by the alcohol industry.

"Our analysis suggests this may be because many drinks companies realise that a significant reduction in harmful drinking would be financially ruinous."

Harmful drinkers in the UK amount to 4% of alcohol consumers and account for 23% of sales revenue, the study showed.

The government has faced accusations of going along with the industry’s needs despite warnings from doctors, charities, the police and health advisors.

Colin Angus, researcher at the Sheffield Alcohol Research Group and a co-author on the paper, said: "Its decision to work in partnership with the alcohol industry is unlikely to lead to effective policies when heavy drinkers provide a large share of the industry's revenue."