Ulster Unionist Party Health Spokesperson Jo-Anne Dobson has welcomed the decision of the Health Minister to set minimum pricing per unit of alcohol in Northern Ireland but has warned that it must only be one of a series of measures taken in order to get to grips with the spiralling problem of excessive alcohol consumption in Northern Ireland.
The Upper Bann MLA said:
“Alcohol is a major contributory factor for ill health and premature deaths across Northern Ireland. Coming behind tobacco and high blood pressure, it is one of our biggest preventable killers. In addition to the personal tragedies it brings to far too many homes each year, it also is putting an unsustainable strain on key public services such healthcare and policing.
“I do believe that setting a minimum price per unit would help to deal with the problem, yet still having little negative impact on social drinkers in terms of the price they pay. It is not about telling people to stop drinking, instead it is trying to help and inform those who buy the cheapest alcohol in the biggest amounts.
“The role of the NHS and the Health Minister should not just simply be treating the consequences of alcohol, but also prevention. There remains much more to be done in striking the right balance between facilitating the sale of alcohol, matching public interest and protecting public safety.
“For instance the Ulster Unionist Party now believes that a radical new approach is needed of alcohol treatment services. A number of new steps such as the provision of effective screening programmes and early intervention measures, such as enhanced signposting roles for GPs, would be inexpensive to introduce yet could revolutionise how excessive alcohol consumption is treated in Northern Ireland.
“In addition I believe there are still further improvements to be made on how the dangers of drinking excessively are relayed to young people. I believe the decision to set minimum pricing per unit, as well as any further initiatives that are adopted, should be accompanied hand in hand with a fully resourced education programme which brings the warnings of drinking too much right into our schools.
“I would urge Jim Wells to not lose focus on the wider responsibilities he has on addressing the problem. In particular I would urge him to resolve the fundamental obstacles still being put in place by his Department, for instance such as the ongoing failure to publish the PHA and HSCB's Commissioning Framework for Alcohol and Drugs 2013 – 2016, even though the consultation ended on it last April.”