The divergence of minimum unit pricing policy across the UK: opportunities for public health policy development

摘要

Above recommended levels of intake, alcohol use is associated with harm including hypertension, haemorrhagic stroke, liver disease, mental health disorders and cancers, as well as accidents, injuries and assaults.1–3 The 2015 UK Global Burden of Disease study indicates that 2.9% of disability-adjusted life years and 1.9% of mortality are attributable to alcohol use,4 and the 2013 Health Survey for England found that 23% of men and 16% of women in England drink at levels associated with risk to health.5 This Health Survey for England estimate would now underestimate the proportion of men at risk, as a 2016 guidance update lowered the recommended maximum level of intake for men, and so would reclassify some of those previously considered at low risk, as at-risk drinkers.6