Government alcohol strategy 'myth-busters'

The price of alcohol may be set at 40p per unit. Credit: Reuters

The Alcohol Strategy will have its opponents, but the Government has moved to counter the critics with a series of "myth busters."

MYTH: Proposals are going to hit consumers in the pocket during difficult times and punish responsible drinkers.

FACT: 80% of alcohol purchases are made by 30% of the population, and this group are the main beneficiaries of discounted alcohol.

MYTH: This is just another duty increase.

FACT: No it's not, a duty increase hits all alcohol for everyone. A minimum unit price hits cheap, harmful alcohol.

MYTH: This is another attack on the poor.

FACT: People on low incomes are the least likely to drink alcohol at all.Independent research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) shows that cheap alcohol is bought by all income groups. The factor that most determines whether you are likely to buy really cheap alcohol is not your income, but how much you drink.

MYTH: The Government is going to make money out of this - it's just another tax.

FACT: The Government will not make anything out of this. We expect supermarkets to put any extra profits they make towards lowering the price of other goods.

The Government says those who drink responsibly will feel very little impact from the proposals. Credit: Reuters

MYTH: Alcohol consumption is going down, why are you doing this?

FACT: Alcohol consumption in general might be going down, but binge drinking is not - among women it has been rising.

MYTH: This is another example of the Nanny State as you tell people what to drink and business what to charge.

FACT: People who drink sensibly will feel very little impact from these proposals. In particular, we want to support local pubs, where people drink sensibly and enjoy themselves, and reverse the shift towards "pre-loading" on cheap alcohol at home, which we know leads to more violence.