New government scheme to cut alcohol unit consumption unveiled

The government has provided details of a new health-focused initiative that aims to reduce UK alcohol consumption by a billion units.

A total of 34 industry organisations – including leading retailers like Asda, Tesco and Spar, as well as drinks companies such as Heineken, Carlsberg and Bacardi – have pledged to offer a greater selection of lower-strength alcohol and smaller measures by 2015.

New products will be introduced and existing recipes modified, while certain products will also be withdrawn from sale, with the aim of cutting alcohol-related deaths per year by 1,000 within a decade.

This will also fall in with public sentiment, as market intelligence suggests that demand for lower and non-alcoholic beer has risen by 40 percent across all retailers in the last year.

Health secretary Andrew Lansley said: "Cutting alcohol by a billion units will help more people drink sensibly and within the guidelines. This pledge forms a key part of the shared responsibility we will encourage."

This comes in the same week that home secretary Theresa May suggested that minimum alcohol pricing could rise above 40p a unit in the UK as part of efforts to tackle binge drinking.