Pouring over public opinion: Alcohol Policies in the UK

In the UK, alcohol presents an urgent and growing problem: 70 people die due to alcohol every day. The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated this crisis, with alcohol-specific deaths having increased by 27% between 2019 and 2021, reaching record highs.

The estimated cost of alcohol on the UK healthcare system is £8.3 billion annually. Predictions show that unless alcohol consumption returns to pre- pandemic levels, by 2034 it will cost the already-stretched NHS in England an additional £1billion.Although alcohol harms have increased, sadly the provision of treatment has not: only one in five people with alcohol dependence in England are estimated to be in treatment.

This Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA) report analyses recent public opinion polling data, carried out by YouGov Ltd. on behalf of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH).

It shares insights into how the public currently view action on alcohol, and what public support there is for policies to tackle alcohol harm. It also sets out our ‘AHA Manifesto’ for policymakers, which centres around four focus areas that would have the biggest collective impact on alcohol harm.