Halton Council is supporting a call to urge the Government to introduce a minimum price on alcohol in England.

The move was introduced in Scotland at 50p per unit in 2018 - it means three litres of strong cider now costs no less than £11.25.

Currently in England this same bottle of cider can cost as little as £3.50.

The council’s health & wellbeing board received a report on the impact minimum pricing would have in Halton and agreed to work with other like-minded authorities in the north to build support among the public and politicians for its introduction.

Councillor Marie Wright, executive board member for health & wellbeing, said: “The harm caused by alcohol is one of the biggest health challenges we have in Halton and it affects whole families and communities.

“Introducing a minimum unit price would help us protect the most vulnerable people, save lives, help prevent crime and save the NHS money.”

Alcohol is one of the biggest public health challenges faced by Halton with rising levels of harm linked to increases in consumption over the past few decades.

In our area, 88% of the alcohol sold for less than 50p per unit is consumed by increasing and higher risk drinkers.

In June it was reported alcohol sales in Scotland fell to lowest levels since records began in 1994 in the first year ministers set a minimum price of 50p per alcoholic unit.

Halton suffers disproportionate harm when compared to the rest of the country with estimated costs to the NHS alone of more than £10m each year.

CHEAP BOOZE TAKES TOLL:

• 27% of the adult population in Halton are estimated to be drinking at increasing and higher risk levels.

• There are 2,152 hospital admissions caused by alcohol each year

• 32 adults die as a result of alcohol consumption

• Estimates suggest in Halton 6,839 crimes, including thefts, criminal damage and violence are caused by alcohol each year.

Alcohol plays a significant role in child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, family breakdown and crime and disorder - it is a factor in around half of all violent crime.

MINIMUM PRICE BENEFITS:

Research from Sheffield University indicates Halton would see significant benefits from the introduction of a 50p minimum price per unit in England:

• The NHS locally would save £256,200 per year

• Alcohol-related hospital admissions would fall by 130 per year

• 65 deaths would be avoided over the ensuing 20-year period

• 196 fewer associated crimes would be committed per year.

Pub prices would be left virtually untouched says the local authority – only about 1% of prices in the trade would be affected