AHA: Measures are welcome
Tuesday, 03 Jun 2008 12:14
New measures launched by the government to encourage responsible alcohol consumption have been welcomed by the Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA).
Professor Ian Gilmore, chair of the AHA and president of the Royal College of Physicians, said the alliance is pleased the government has decided to develop a communications campaign to alert people to the dangers of drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.
He said the results of the review of alcohol and drug education in schools, reporting in June, should be fed into the development of this campaign.
"We also welcome the drive to improve alcohol treatment services for young people by addressing issues of access and quality, but this should also include addressing the level of resources available and the appropriateness of the service which is currently mainly aimed at adult drinkers," Professor Gilmore added.
"While this plan was not expected to address the price of alcohol, we hope that the forthcoming review into the relationship between alcohol price, promotion and harm will recommend strong action on price and availability, as they are the key drivers of consumption."