The on-trade has rejected calls from health professionals for a minimum alcohol price of 50p per unit, despite showing some sympathy for their criticism of Government proposals for a ban on below-cost selling.
Liver disease specialists writing in medical journal The Lancet criticised the Government's ban on the sale of alcohol below cost price as "inconsequential" and warned the Government was "too close" to the drinks industry, as it recommended a minimum price of 50p per unit.
If nothing was done, they warned that deaths from all alcohol-related causes - including cancers and road accidents - could kill 250,000 people in England and Wales over the next two decades.
Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, who leads the group, also warned there was a "very close link" between the falling prices in real terms over the last 20 years and the amount Britons drink.
British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) chief executive Brigid Simmonds hit back at claims that the drinks industry was too close to Government. "Far from being too close to Government, all alcohol producers have faced huge increases in tax and regulation in recent years and rejected a minimum price of 50p.
"For beer, duty has increased by 26% since 2008. This has been hugely damaging and the Government has plans for large increases in March, which would further hurt the brewing and pub sector on which a million UK jobs depend," she said.
Simmonds also pointed to figures which showed that UK alcohol consumption per head has fallen by almost 11% since 2005.
Meanwhile the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) agreed with doctors that the Government's proposals to ban the sale of alcohol costing less than duty plus VAT was "almost entirely meaningless" as it would impact only a tiny handful of brands. "It is not a proposal that will have any impact on supermarkets undercutting well-run community pubs," a Camra spokesman told Caterer.
Camra is calling for the Government to prevent supermarkets from selling alcohol as a loss leader by banning them from retailing it below the price it costs to buy it in, which includes not only VAT and duty, but also production and distribution costs.
Despite that, Camra said it would not support a minimum unit price of 50p because it claimed it went beyond the cost of tax and production, citing 40p per unit as a more realistic minimum price.
In response to the health professionals, the Government said it was taking "tough action" against alcohol misuse.
Camra wants the Government to prevent supermarkets from undercutting community pubs
Industry rejects doctors' plans for 50p per unit minimum price >>