Drinkers will have to pay at least £4.50 for a standard bottle of wine and £6 for a six-pack of lager in shops and supermarkets in a new crackdown on binge boozing.
A two-litre bottle of cider will cost at least £5.50, while a 700ml bottle of whisky would cost at least £14 under plans to impose a minimum price on alcohol.
The figures are detailed in a report to the chiefs of Greater Manchester’s 10 councils, which are lobbying the government for a 50p minimum price per unit on alcohol. They hope it will help to tackle binge-drinking and booze-fuelled crime.
The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities executive board has won the backing of Manchester police chief Peter Fahy, and leading alcohol awareness campaigners in its efforts to get a national baseline price brought in.
The report to the AGMA board points to research which identifies 50p as an amount which ‘would target irresponsible drinking, impacting on binge-drinkers and harmful drinkers, while imposing a minimal financial effect on moderate drinkers and on-trade sales’.
Manchester has one of the highest rates of drink-related deaths and illness in the country and is at the top of a nationwide table of areas most affected by alcohol.
The M.E.N. revealed last year how drink is set to kill 38,000 people in the region over the next decade. Police, council and health chiefs have blamed cheap supermarket and nightclub promotions for playing a role in promoting binge-drinking and ‘pre-loading’ among teenagers – who drink cheap booze at home before they go on a night out.
Andy Walker, of north west alcohol awareness pressure group Our Life, said: “We’re really pleased to see AGMA is taking a leadership position on this issue. They are to be applauded for continuing to push this forward.
“The bill for alcohol harm is becoming increasingly unaffordable in our region.
“All the research and intelligence that we’re aware of suggests that reducing availability of cheap alcohol will reduce consumption. That will save lives and ultimately money for resources that could be better spent elsewhere.”
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Black Flag (10/03/2010 at 09:46)
That kind of price fixing is illegal under EU law and these buffoons have been told countless times that it is illegal. We all know the government isn't shy of introducing illegal laws, but lobbying for something which is know to be illegal at the outset is ridiculous.
Emjay See supporting City is not being able to wake from a dream that keeps getting better and bette (10/03/2010 at 09:53)
Kurt Stephens (10/03/2010 at 09:54)
Also very helpful in getting people back into pubs and out of the alcohol aisle in the super markets.
PO (10/03/2010 at 09:56)
They should have learned by now that, in the same way as you won't tax people out of their cars, you won't tax them out of drink either!
BlueKingEll (10/03/2010 at 10:17)
Or History will prove people will find cheaper alternatives - Why did meths drinking begin. In 1996, it was estimated that anywhere between 50,000 to 100,000 Russians were dying per year, from poisonous bootleg vodka.(http://www.russianlife.com/article.cfm?Number=567). Recreational drugs etc...
Orb the Impaler, Rochdale (10/03/2010 at 10:30)
Yet again the dicatatorship that is New Labour seeks to stick it's nose where it's not wanted, doesn't dare to upset the parents whose little darlings are out of their faces smashing up the local bus shelter and simply seeks to penalise everyone for the misdeeds of the few.
I cannot believe what a load of interfering busybodies we've ended up with!
Black Flag (10/03/2010 at 10:45)
Our Life is a mouthpiece for (and funded by) the NHS to deliver manufactured support for government proposals. This is just the state applauding itself.
B V Flute, Newton Moor (10/03/2010 at 10:46)
I'm with you all the way on this one ...you're absolutely correct.
Marquis de Sade et la petit monge tout (10/03/2010 at 10:46)
Croc, Manchester (10/03/2010 at 10:52)
Hamish Macbeth, Whitefield (10/03/2010 at 10:55)
""In a ruling published last week, the European Court said minimum prices for cigarettes and loose tobacco in France, Ireland, and Austria contravene EU competition rules....""
Despite the Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeons claim that the ruling on tobacco is different to the proposed minimum price on alcohol - I think most educated people would say the parallels are immense and the cigarette ruling sets a huge precedence for alcohol too..
If they bring it in the huge alcohol companies will go to Europe and it will be overturned.
PW, Manchester (10/03/2010 at 10:57)
Public School Pimms Lout (10/03/2010 at 10:57)
A decent bottle of plonk is 6 quid with the 'gut rot' at 4 quid or under. I wonder if the supermarkets will use this as an excuse to increase the price of decent wine as well?
I don’t agree with a lot of things Black Flag says. But he is bang on with his comments regarding this topic!
They should target trouble causers and power drinkers, not those who enjoy a glass or two socially and responsibly! Nanny state at its worse.
When in Rome (10/03/2010 at 11:15)
Gary Salamander (10/03/2010 at 11:44)
Jay B, oldham (10/03/2010 at 11:44)
its nothing ata all about health reasons. they've just realised that they needed to shore up the massive drop in tax revenue from smoking so they've jumped on the alcohol band wagon.
what will it be next? its looking like food's the next target! which will hit everyone!
Barney Gumball LLB Hons (10/03/2010 at 11:47)
hijet nogin (10/03/2010 at 11:55)
Knowall, stretford end (10/03/2010 at 11:56)
Jiggerz, Mancunia (10/03/2010 at 11:57)
Make it illegal nationwide to drink anywhere on the streets unless the area has a license, after all, it's teenagers outside shops and in parks and yobs on the streets that they're actually targeting, so target them instead of all of us.
Anne Coates, Jersey Street (10/03/2010 at 12:01)
I have realised that Black Flag is right; we are living in what amounts to a fascist state - our every move dictated by an apparently benevolent dictatotship - noo laybooh!
Hamish Macbeth, Whitefield (10/03/2010 at 12:07)
Is it misconduct in a public office for the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities executive board to waste resources on supporting illegal price fixing?
I think they should reflect on whether they are spending wisely in these financially hard times - at least financially hard for most of us ordinary folk
Marquis de Sade et la petit monge tout (10/03/2010 at 12:14)
Mark,Radcliffe. (10/03/2010 at 12:20)
Emjay See supporting City is not being able to wake from a dream that keeps getting better and bette (10/03/2010 at 12:23)
As for drinking at home being no problem to society, what about the enormous strain it puts on NHS resources? Like smoking, boozing should have to fund the cost of health care associated with its misuse.
This argument in no way suggests that those who can not contol themselves in public should be somehow let off, they shouldn't. They are 2 entirely seperate issues.