ALCOHOL POLICY – CAN WE LEARN FROM HISTORY?

NDSAG Annual Conference 2013

Dr James Nicholls – Research Manager, Alcohol Research UK

“Where alcohol is concerned, history is often appealed to but rarely accurately…”

Lesson #1British drinking cultures are not static

Changing culture

18th century – port, coffee, tea and spirits popularised; elite male hard drinking culture; gin drinking among urban poor

19th century – rise of temperance across social groups; diversification of beer and pub trade; peak in consumption of all drinks c.1880

Early 20th century – steep decline in consumption; reduction in pub-going; alternative leisure activities

Mid-to-late 20th century – introduction of lager; rise in wine consumption; increased home drinking; development of NTEs; peak in consumption c. 2004

House of Commons Health Committee (2010) Alcohol HC151-I, 14

House of Commons Health Committee (2012) DH Written Evidence (GAS 01)

Royal Commission on Licensing (1929-31)

‘Drunkenness has gone out of fashion …’

We should ‘get the beer drinking habit instilled into thousands, almost millions, of young men who do not at present know the taste of beer.’Sir Edgar Sanders - Chairman of Brewers Society (1933)

Source: BBPA Statistical Handbook 2010 Source: Health Committee – Alcohol 2010

Source: BBPA Statistical Handbook, 2010

Lesson #2Policy can influence culture

Policy and culture

Licensing deregulationGin retail 1690; Beer Houses 1830; wine retail 1860; off-trade 1961

Licensing restrictionsPermitted hours 1916

Pricing interventionsSpirits duty cut 1825; wine duty cut 1860; duties increased from 1910;

Other interventionsResale Price Maintenance abolished 1964; Beer Orders 1990; local regeneration policies 1990s +

Royal Commission on Licensing (1929-31)

What works…

Further reduction of outlets

‘Pub improvement’

Education in schools

Controls on advertising

‘The alcohol problem in this country reflects a failure of will and competence on the part of Government departments and quangos. In the past Governments have had a large influence on alcohol consumption … Alcohol is no ordinary commodity and its regulation is an ancient function of Government.’

Health Committee Inquiry into Alcohol (2010)

Lesson #3Policy impacts are unpredictable

Unpredictable outcomes

1736 De facto prohibition of ginContempt for law; black markets; public disorder

1830 Beer ActDevelopment of ‘gin palaces’

1860 Treat of Commerce / Refreshment Houses ActAdditive effect, rather than switching

1990 Beer OrdersBig Six replaced by … Big Six

2003 Licensing ActNeither café culture nor ‘Binge Britain’?

Lesson #4Industry is powerful, but not unified

A disunited ‘Trade’

1830 Beer ActSmall retailers v big brewers

1860 Treat of Commerce / Refreshment Houses ActBrewers (and temperance…) v wine merchants

MUP / ‘Beer duty escalator’BBPA v WSTA; Greene King v Wetherspoons

NB: Industry doesn’t always get what it wants (and it doesn’t always want the same thing…)

Recurring themes

An ‘ordinary commodity’?

‘Punishing the sensible majority’

The Great British Pub?

Consensus and polarisation

Key points

Drinking culture is dynamic – we are not simply ‘a nation of boozers’

Policy can influence culture – ‘culture’ is not divorced from price, availability etc.

Policy impacts are unpredictable – history is important part of the evidence base

Alcohol policy is about fundamental principles:•What is the ‘value’ of alcohol?•What are the limits of the ‘harm principle’?•What is the proper relationship between the state and the market?