General Introduction
The consumption of alcohol is highly prevalent in British society and culture. However, there are signs that our relationship with alcohol is changing, and we should be actively seeking to move towards a healthier relationship with alcohol.
Alcohol is a risk factor in seven different cancers, including breast, bowel and oesophageal cancer. Alcohol is estimated to cause 11,900 cases per year in the UK[i] and according to the WHO, is estimated to be behind 4% of cancer cases worldwide[ii]. There is no safe limit below which this risk doesn’t exist.[iii] At whatever level you drink, decreasing your drinking will decrease your cancer risk.
1. Information and education – alcohol labelling
Information and education are vital in the battle to move towards a healthier relationship with alcohol. Evidence suggests that awareness of the cancer risk posed by alcohol is relatively low[iv], and there is good evidence that improving awareness of this, including through health labelling, leads people to moderate their consumption.[v]
Yet, current labelling requirements for alcoholic drinks are lower than those for food, little health information is currently included, and best practice standards are only enforced by a voluntary code policed by the alcohol industry. By contrast, the Irish government is introducing mandatory health labelling of alcohol products, including information about cancer risk, from 2026.[vi]
We strongly support the introduction of mandatory health warnings and information on bottles of alcohol. National and devolved governments in the UK should follow the Irish government example and introduce mandatory labelling which includes a specific warning about the link between alcohol and cancer.
We also believe that regulation of new mandatory alcohol labelling should be transferred to an independent regulatory body, such as the Food Standards Agency to ensure that the regulation of alcohol labelling is as rigorous as that for foodstuffs.
See our campaign page about mandatory health labelling on alcohol.
2. Taxation and Price Controls
The evidence is clear that a rise in the price of alcohol is one of the most effective ways of reducing consumption.[vii] Indeed, increasing affordability of alcohol relative to income is likely to have one of the major cause of decades of rising alcohol consumption in the UK from the 1960s to the 2000s.[viii] Alcohol is increasingly sold off-trade (in supermarkets and shops) at a cheaper price, with less being sold on-trade (in pubs and clubs), which has contributed to recent increases in consumption.
Recent changes to Alcohol Duty mean that alcoholic drinks are now taxed on the basis of their strength. The impact of this on consumption as yet remains unclear. What is likely to be more important is that Alcohol Duty is uprated in line with inflation each year, something which has not happened consistently in the UK over recent decades.
Evidence suggests that consumption by the heaviest drinkers is more price sensitive than that of moderate drinkers.[ix] This is a key part of the rationale behind the policy of Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP), which places a legal minimum on the price of a unit of alcohol. MUP policies in Scotland and Wales have generally been deemed to be successful in reducing alcohol harm.[x] Meanwhile, multi-buy discounts like ‘2 for the price of 1’ on alcoholic drinks have been banned by the Scottish government but remain legal in England and Wales.
We believe that the level of alcohol duty should be raised steadily, and at least in line with inflation, to help reduce consumption and discourage heavy drinking. There may also be a possibility to differentiate duty on alcohol sold off-trade (such as supermarkets where most alcohol is sold) compared to alcohol sold on-trade (pubs, clubs) in order to reduce alcohol consumption without harming the hospitality sector.
Minimum Unit Pricing should be introduced in England, mirroring conditions in Scotland and Wales, and price promotions on alcohol should also be banned in England.
3. Licensing Reform
The 2003 Licensing Act sets four objectives of licensing in the UK: the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm. In Scotland, a public health objective was added to these, allowing local authorities in Scotland to take account of alcohol harm when choosing to grant licenses or not. The 2003 Act also provided for more flexible opening hours, including 24-hour licensing, and invested powers to make these decisions in local authorities.[xi]
We believe the 2003 Licensing Act should now be reviewed. Public health must now be included as a core objective in licensing decisions, including all decisions on opening hours for licensed premises.
4. Marketing and Availability
Alcohol advertising in the UK is subject to controls that seek to prevent alcohol being marketed inappropriately. Restrictions have primarily been aimed at preventing the marketing of alcohol to children and young people, though wider prohibitions on promotion of irresponsible drinking or linking alcohol with sex or success also apply.
Alcohol advertising is controlled by a mixture of co-regulation and self-regulation, involving the Advertising Standards Authority, Ofcom (for broadcasting), and the alcohol industry-financed Portman Group. The Portman Group oversees key elements of marketing, such as sponsorship, promotion and packaging.
We believe that the current regulation of alcohol marketing is too complex and too complicated. Regulation of alcohol marketing should be simplified and placed entirely in the hands of an independent regulator free from industry influence.
We also call for stricter regulation of alcohol advertising, in order to put greater emphasis on public health and limit over-consumption of alcohol.
5. Introduction of non-alcoholic and low alcohol substitutes
There has been a significant rise in the popularity of alcohol free or low-alcohol (‘NoLo’) drinks in recent years.[xii] In response, a wider range of NoLo products have become available, Studies have shown that NoLo products can play a role in helping some people reduce their total consumption of alcohol, though more research is needed.[xiii]
We strongly support the trend towards increased use of NoLo drinks, and welcome any shift by the drinks industry towards these healthier products. They are one means by which some people may be able to reduce their alcohol intake.
We believe the Government should seek to support this shift, including by seeking to reduce the relative price of NoLo drinks in relation to standard alcoholic drinks, and further encouraging industry where necessary.
[i] Brown, K. et al., The fraction of cancer attributable to modifiable risk factors in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom in 2015. British Journal of Cancer, 2018.
[iii] WHO, No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health.
[iv] Buykx, Li, Gavens et al, Public awareness of the link between alcohol and cancer in England in 2015: a population-based survey, 2016.
[v] WHO, Health warning labels on alcoholic beverages: opportunities for informed and healthier choices
[vi] Government of Ireland, Department of Health Ministers for Health bring into law the world’s first comprehensive health labelling of alcohol products
[vii] Sharma , Sinha & Vandenberg, Pricing as a means of controlling alcohol consumption, 2017.
[viii] Alcohol Change UK, Alcohol price and duty
[ix] James Nicholls, The highs and lows of drinking in Britain, 2014.
[x] Public Health Scotland, Evaluating the impact of minimum unit pricing for alcohol in Scotland: A synthesis of the evidence, 2023
[xi] UK Government, Licensing Act 2003
[xii] University of Sheffield – Sheffield Addictions Research Group, Trends in the alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks market in the UK, 2025
[xiii] Social Market Foundation, Alcohol-free drinks can help some people cut their booze intake, 2020