UK alcohol industry may face binge-drinking curbs

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's drinks industry may face tough new laws to deal with the country's binge-drinking culture, which costs the state health system an estimated 2.7 billion pounds each year, the government warned on Tuesday.

Government and independent reviews suggest the drinks industry is not sticking to its own voluntary labeling standards and show that alcohol abuse is far more damaging to people's health than thought, the Department of Health said.

"The evidence from this series of reviews, and the hospital admissions data, clearly make this the right time to consult on a far tougher approach to the alcohol industry," Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo said in a statement.

"Some sections of the industry are sticking to the voluntary codes, others are blatantly ignoring them."

The British Beer and Pub Association said it would work with the government but said the right approach is to address the underlying drinking culture rather than legislate and regulate.

"We expect to be held to account for those things we can control, but companies cannot and should not be held to account for individual choices and behaviors that are beyond their ability to control," the group said.

Officials figures show that alcohol-related injuries and illnesses accounted for 6 percent of all hospital admissions in 2006, or about 811,000, and cost the state health system 2.7 billion pounds each year. This is up from about 475,000 admissions in 2002.

And with the government estimating nearly a quarter of the population drinking to a harmful level, Primarolo said the industry and public officials need to work together to get people to consume more safely.

"The drinks industry has a vital role to play if we are to change the country's attitudes to alcohol," she said in a statement. "This consultation will decide whether legally binding regulations for retailers and manufacturers to promote sensible drinking are the way forward."