Alcohol (Health Warning) (Hansard, 8 June 1988)

§ Mr. Tony Banks (Newham, North-west)
I beg to move, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to require the display of a health warning label on all products containing alcohol and to require the display of such notices in licensed premises. I should make it clear from the beginning that I like a drink myself and I am certainly not approaching this subject from a puritanical point of view. Indeed, for those who believe that alcohol is the devil's brew, I would remind them of the miracle of the wedding feast where Jesus Christ turned water into wine. Presumably he could have turned it into Rowntree's cocoa or Nestlé's coffee, but for reasons that I would not dare to question he chose wine.
The labelling with a Government health warning of alcohol products for consumption is supported by hon. Members on both sides of the House, and I would draw the House's attention to early-day motion 599 in that regard. I am confident that it is only a matter of time before such a measure is adopted. The reasoning behind the proposal is both self-evident and self-explanatory. Drinking alcohol is injurious to health and dependency starts at a very low level of intake. The medical royal colleges recently stated that safe weekly consumption is the equivalent of 10½ pints for men and the equivalent of 7½ pints for women. Those who drink every day—that goes for many people in this House and no doubt many people in the country—are probably on target for some form of alcohol-related illness.
Alcohol is a killer, both directly and indirectly, and reports from the medical royal colleges suggest that at least 25,000, and probably 40,000, deaths a year are linked to excessive or inappropriate drinking.
I accept that long statistical lists are somewhat tedious, but all the available statistics show the growing seriousness of alcohol abuse in this country. A variety of published studies has shown that alcohol abuse is associated with 52 per cent. of deaths from fires, two thirds of suicides, 62 per cent. of serious head injuries among males—[Interruption.]There will be a few more if hon. Members do not listen more carefully to what I am saying. Moreover, alcohol abuse is associated with 45 per cent. of fatal road accidents involving young people, 36 per cent. of road traffic accidents involving pedestrians, one third of all domestic accidents, 30 per cent. of non-traffic accident fatalities and 30 per cent. of drownings. It is a horrendous list, and if hon. Members would like more statistics they can consult the report prepared by two young constituents of mine in Newham, Moira Bramley and Susan Withers, who I know are taking a close interest in this afternoon's proceedings.
A recent study at the university of York by Professor Alan Maynard calculated that at 1985 prices the annual cost to society arising—[Interruption.]

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. May I ask the House to listen carefully to what the hon. Gentleman has to say about this important matter?

§ Mr. Banks
I put it all down to heavy lunches, Mr. Speaker.
Professor Maynard estimated that the annual cost arising from alcohol abuse was a staggering £1,846 million 847 —or £5 million a day. Included in that figure are costs to industry, costs to the National Health Service—about one in five of all admissions are now alcohol related—and costs related to damage arising from road accidents and criminal activities.
Every year at Christmas the Government launch a very welcome campaign to try to reduce drinking and driving. Unfortunately, it concentrates on only one aspect—the indirect consequences of drinking. I believe that the campaign should also cover the direct consequences of drinking excessively and it should be a round-the-year campaign.
Alcohol consumption in the United Kingdom is increasing dramatically in all drink categories. That is especially true of our annual consumption of wine, which has increased by no less than 2,945 per cent. since 1945, according to Customs and Excise figures. The consumption of alcohol has doubled in the past 25 years. While many other countries are actively trying to respond to the call by the World Health Organisation to reduce that figure by 25 per cent. by the year 2000, the United Kingdom is doing the very opposite. The United Kingdom now has a higher per capita consumption of alcohol than the Soviet Union, Finland and Poland—all countries generally accepted in the public mind as having a serious alcohol problem.
It is not really surprising that alcohol consumption has increased so dramatically bearing in mind the additional outlets that are now available for the purchase of alcohol. According to Home Office statistics, between 1973 and 1986 the number of on and off-licence premises increased by 32 per cent. The Government themselves are busy increasing availability by the easing of licensing controls. In addition, while consumption has doubled in the past 25 years, the real price of alcohol has been halved.
The most worrying aspect of all is the incidence of alcohol abuse among young people in the 15 to 24 age range. People under 25 years drink more than those in any other age group. It is calculated that 31 per cent. of men and 23 per cent. of women began drinking before the age of 15. Furthermore, 1,000 children under the age of 15 are admitted to hospital each year with acute alcohol intoxication. Clearly the laws governing the sale of alcohol need to be more rigorously enforced.
Although other age groups can now expect to live longer, there is currently a reduced life expectancy for the 16 to 24 age group due to the rising number of deaths resulting from drink-related accidents. An enormous amount of slick advertising is aimed at encouraging drinking among the young. The industry admits that about £200 million a year is spent on advertising—[Interruption.]

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. Will the club below the Gangway contain itself?

§ Mr. Banks
The drinks industry admits to spending £200 million a year on advertising, but I believe that to be a gross under-estimate. It does not appear to include the money that it spends on sports sponsorship, where the brand names are clearly displayed. Advertisements for drinks such as Martini, gin, Pernod and Bacardi are aimed 848 at creating a glamorous image associated with expensive cars, money, sun-drenched beaches, travel—like the Foreign Secretary—and life in the fast lane generally. Beer and lager advertisements are aimed at the macho image. All drinking is associated with fun and glamour rather than with the sordid picture that the statistics clearly reveal.
If the House granted me leave to introduce the Bill, it would have to be part of an education programme pointing out the dangers of drinking. People generally, but especially the young, do not believe that alcohol is dangerous because they think that if it was the Government would do something about it. That is a rather simple view. The Government have committed £17 million to the drugs campaign, but less than £1.5 million to combating alcohol abuse. To put the figures into perspective, there were 235 deaths from illicit drug use but at least 25,000 deaths from alcohol abuse in 1984—the year for which figures are available. We need a general public information campaign along the lines of those aimed at combating drugs and AIDS.
If my Bill were to become operative, it would require that all bottles and cans displayed labels saying, "HM Government warning—alcohol can seriously damage your health." A notice to that effect would also have to be prominently displayed in all licensed premises, and on all wine lists in bars, clubs and restaurants.
I realise that the drinks industry is politically powerful, with many friends in this House and elsewhere, and also that it gives very generously to the Conservative party. I trust that neither of those facts will prevent the House from dealing with the growing crisis of alcohol abuse. I am not advocating prohibition—that would be both unrealistic and hypocritical because, as I have already said, I like a drink. I am certainly not trying to interfere with the freedom of individuals. I am merely asking that people be advised, at the point of consumption, about the damaging consequences, both directly and indirectly, of drinking alcohol.
The Bill should be only part of a vital education programme aimed at making excessive drinking as socially unacceptable as smoking is now becoming.

§ Mr. Speaker
Who will prepare and bring in the Bill?

§ Mr. Banks
Mr. Ronnie Fearn, Ms. Joyce Quin, Mr. Harry Cohen, Mr. Simon Hughes, Mr. George Galloway, Mr. Robin Corbett, Mr. Dafydd Wigley, Rev. Martin Smyth, Mr. Julian Critchley, Mr. Peter L. Pike, Mr. Barry Jones—and far too many more to mention.

§ Mr. Speaker
Second Reading what day?

§ Mr. Banks
Friday 8 July—the slaughter of the innocents day.

§ Mr. Speaker
Let us just say Friday 8 July