Alcohol Help

Cut price alcohol promotions from some of the leading supermarkets are putting teen drinkers at greater risk than ever. Cheap at twice the price: Young People, Purchasing Power and Alcohol provides an indication of just how much alcohol the average 12-16 year old can buy with their weekly pocket money.

Through an analysis of price information from supermarket branches throughout London and survey data from the Department of Health, the Home Office and HBOS (Halifax) plc a clearer picture of young people’s purchasing power has now emerged. In major supermarkets with a track record of selling alcohol to underage buyers, it is possible to purchase more than 3 times the recommended daily limit for adult men, and more than 4 times the recommended daily limit for women for as little as £7.29.

Crucially, cut price promotions extend to well known brands, including Smirnoff Ice, Budweiser and Bacardi. Continuing failures by retailers to eliminate under age sales mean it is now very easy for young people to buy into the brands they identify as being the most attractive.

Don Shenker, Director of Policy and Services for Alcohol Concern says:

"Young people quite often drink to get drunk. When they manage to purchase alcohol, the aim is generally to drink it over the course of one evening. Cheap alcohol promotions help explain just why those young people who drink can afford to do so at far greater levels than in the past. Until government gets serious about making alcohol less affordable, it’s hard to see how we can prevent young people from cheap alcohol and risky drinking".

The report recommends that the government introduce higher taxes on alcohol sales in order to halt its ever growing affordability and the consequent ease with which young people are able to access large volumes of drink.

Alcohol Concern