The ICS is facing a ‘significant' public health crisis due to alcohol-related harm, from 2019-22, there was a 27% rise in alcohol-attributable deaths in south east London and the societal cost of these harms is estimated at £902.5m.
In response, NHS SE London commissioned a report and toolkit from the Institute of Alcohol Studies to identify ways to reduce the scale of these harms. Key recommendations from the report include:
- enabling a pan-London Minimum Unit Price (MUP) for alcohol;
- prohibiting advertising of alcohol in local authority owned spaces;
- better regulating availability in premises and retailers, and at certain times of the day;
- reducing the availability of low cost, high strength beers, lagers and ciders;
- making alcohol screening routine across the population;
- maintaining and improving the quality of alcohol treatment services.
The report finds that a city-wide MUP of between 50p and 70p could save between 33 and 149 lives annually, however, the focus of the report is on local actions that can be implemented without the need for national legislation.
Dr Emily Finch, clinical director, Southwark and Addictions, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘This report offers a set of ambitious but achievable measures for our local authorities, healthcare providers, and community leaders to address the root causes of risky alcohol use and make a real difference to the health of our residents.'
Jane Connor, public health adviser at NHS SE London and King's Health Partners Vital 5 programme, added: ‘We envision a south east London where the harms of alcohol are significantly reduced, where communities are safer, and where health and wellbeing are prioritised over the economic interests of the alcohol industry. The launch of this report provides the first steps towards achieving this goal.'
