As part of the Public Health Responsibility Deal (PHRD), the government has been working with the alcohol industry and partners to create 11 collective pledges and 10 individual pledges (see links below) to support a culture of responsible drinking.
The Department of Health has now published its second interim report – Responsibility Deal: Monitoring the number of units of alcohol sold. The report gives an accurate estimate of changes in the number of units of alcohol in the market since 2011 and describes the methods and data used to calculate them. It shows:
- Between 2011 and 2013 the number of units of alcohol in the market has reduced by 1.9 billion. Of this it is estimated that 1.3 billion is due to reductions in the ABV of alcohol products, 0.3bn more than the target 1bn reduction by the end of 2015 contained in the Responsibility Deal Pledge.
- The reduction in this number of units has mainly been achieved by reductions in the average strength of beer, which has reduced from 4.42% in 2011 to 4.14% in 2013. This accounted for 1.2 billion of the 1.3 billion total reduction.
- Average ABV has decreased in all product categories apart from spirits, where there was a slight increase from 36.85% to 36.92%. Overall the average ABV fell from 7.49% to 7.28% between 2011 and 2013.
Commenting on the confirmation that the drinks industry has achieved its target to remove 1 billion units of alcohol from the market two years ahead of schedule, WSTA Chief Executive Miles Beale said:
“This is an incredible voluntary effort from the industry, which has vastly exceeded an ambitious target two years ahead of schedule.
“It is yet another example of real progress being achieved by Government and industry working in partnership to promote responsible drinking and tackle alcohol misuse.
“The industry has a vital role to play in tackling harmful consumption and is committed to building on this progress and delivering on its Responsibility Deal pledges, including publishing guidance on the responsible retail of alcohol by the end of the year.”
Full details from the Department of Health report click here
See the pledges here: 11 collective pledges and 10 individual pledges