Dr Mary McCarthy: New alcohol pricing policy makes sense

In a landmark ruling this week, the Supreme Court in the UK ruled that Scotland can set a minimum price for alcohol; a move which comes after years of campaigning as ministers have claimed that raising the price of cheaper high-strength alcohol will help tackle the unhealthy relationship that people have with drinking.

Indeed, this is something that many other countries in Europe have been debating and campaigners are now urging England to follow in the footsteps of Scotland, with the Alcohol Health Alliance warning that cheap alcohol in England is causing considerable damage.

Currently, the content of alcohol in a drink is completely unrelated to the price, which means you can often buy large amounts of alcohol for cheap prices regardless of the overall alcohol content.

But this does come at a price. Alcohol is a poison when taken to excess firstly damages the liver and then other systems such as nervous system, the brain and heart.

People are typically aware of the effects of being drunk; confused thinking, slurred speech, disturbance of balance, blurry visuals and loss of inhibitions.

This effect is generally short-term though a person who is drunk is placing themselves at considerable risk - becoming more prone to accidents such as falls, road accidents and drowning. Indeed, people who are drunk are more vulnerable and their inability to fend for themselves can make them prey to those ready to take advantage.

Unfortunately, heavy consumption of alcohol over a sustained period can have considerable long-term health effects and in some cases, damage to the heart can lead to heart failure and ultimately death.

Alcohol damages the nervous system so that sensation is impaired and those with alcohol damage can no longer feel their feet or grip a cup safely.

It can accelerate dementia and memory loss which as well as being distressing for the patient, can impact on the costs of social and hospital care.

It can damage the pancreas, causing inflammation and possibly permanent hurt to the pancreatic cells giving rise to diabetes and a lifetime of insulin injections.

Alcohol’s main victim however is the liver. It causes inflammation and then scarring resulting in a hard, shrunken organ that no longer can process chemical reactions as it should. Cirrhosis of the liver is a familiar term but people may be unaware that this also increases the risk of cancer of the liver and in the UK and Europe the rise in the incidence of liver cancer is a considerable worry.

Excess alcohol is implicated in other forms of cancer, particularly rectal cancer and colon cancer. If it was a new drug, we probably would not allow it to be used because of its side effects and long-term damage.

Europe has also tried to bring in Minimum Unit Pricing of Alcohol as the BMA has tried in the UK but has been defeated, so far, by the weight and power of the alcohol producers.

Beyond the physical effects, there is also the toll it can take it on mental health, relationships and family life.

More than 23,500 people in England die each year from alcohol-related causes and if a sensible pricing structure can even go part way to tackle this problem then we should all be on board.

* Dr Mary McCarthy is chair of the local medical committee and represents Shropshire, North Staffordshire and South Staffordshire on the General Practitioners Committee of the BMA. She has worked at Belvidere Surgery in Shrewsbury for more than 20 years.