“Immoral” supermarkets are creating alcoholics, says top Tory
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Supermarkets are encouraging alcohol abuse by selling drink cheaply, according to former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith.
Duncan Smith, a key aide to current Tory leader David Cameron, told The Times that supermarkets are being “immoral” by deep discounting alcohol.
“The behaviour of the supermarkets on alcohol is as close to being immoral as you can get … there’s no question that they’re encouraging young people to drink and they’re creating alcoholics,” he told the newspaper.
Duncan Smith, who will be charged with bringing together Government policy to fix what he calls “broken society” if the Tories win the election, also says there should be an across the board tax increase on alcohol to tackle abuse.
“We are into unpopular territory now, but to deal with something like alcohol that is damaging the fabric of the nation, we need to raise prices. There is a direct connection between the price of alcohol and consumption,” he says.
Stephen Robertson, of the British Retail Consortium, told The Times: “Supermarkets are the most responsible sellers of alcohol. Pushing up prices won’t make a difference. Changing attitudes will and that’s what retailers are engaged in.”
A blanket tax rise goes beyond Tory party policy with the shadow home secretary, Chris Grayling, recently proposing a duty increase on super strength lagers and ciders and alcopops. The party also wants to see a ban on selling drinks under cost price.
Duncan Smith’s comments on supermarkets come as research shows that they are reducing the number of promotions on alcoholic drinks. A study for the Grocer found deals on alcohol in January made up 22% of all promotions, down from 26% last year.
Readers' comments (4)
Anonymous | Mon, 25 Jan 2010 1:11 pm
Just because something is for sale - it does not mean that someone has to buy it - whatever the price.
Supermarkets are very careful who they sell alcohol to - in terms of avoiding underage and once you are an adult then the responsibility lies with the adult.
Did Mr Duncan Smith only join the Tory party because it had cheap membership? I am sure there were far more important (to him) reasons other than the price.
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Anonymous | Mon, 25 Jan 2010 1:28 pm
Noone can create an alcoholic just by offering alcohol. Does Duncan Smith not know anything about alcoholics?!
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Anonymous | Tue, 26 Jan 2010 0:34 am
With cheap drink inducements stacked up on entering supermarkets, is it any wonder so many pubs throughout the UK are going to the wall? The invitation to buy more than you need smacks you in the face because it is on special offer.
Is it not time there was a level playing field?
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Anonymous | Tue, 26 Jan 2010 3:47 pm
'Pile it high, sell it cheap' alway sold more and when people buy more they tend to consume more! And that goes for all ages by the way, not just the young. Of course the supermarkets are playing a huge part in the serious alcohol problems we're currently experiencing and storing up for the future in this country.
It's funny we don't see them running similar promotions on the alcohol-free drinks isn't it! In fact, even at Christmas, when they could have run a really positive PR story you couldn't find an alcholol-free section in most supermarkets as most items were mixed in with their alcoholic versions. An alcohol-free section with info on safe drinking levels and drink-driving limits would have been positive and might even have made some money!
I'm not a Tory, but I support Mr Duncan Smith for going for something that might at first appear unpopular with the public - as smoking did way back!
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