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Alcohol tax urged to fund rehabilitation | Alcohol tax urged to fund rehabilitation |
(about 7 hours later) | |
Alcohol taxes should be increased to fund rehabilitation services, a centre-right think tank has urged ministers. | Alcohol taxes should be increased to fund rehabilitation services, a centre-right think tank has urged ministers. |
The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) said a "treatment tax" on alcohol sold in shops could add 2p to a can of lager and 9p on a bottle of wine. | The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) said a "treatment tax" on alcohol sold in shops could add 2p to a can of lager and 9p on a bottle of wine. |
The money raised would fund residential rehabilitation services, it said. | The money raised would fund residential rehabilitation services, it said. |
The Department of Health said it had no plans to put more duty on alcohol but planned to allow councils a budget of £5.4bn for public health work. | The Department of Health said it had no plans to put more duty on alcohol but planned to allow councils a budget of £5.4bn for public health work. |
"The costs of addiction are rising with alcohol-related admissions to hospital doubling in a decade," the CSJ argued. | "The costs of addiction are rising with alcohol-related admissions to hospital doubling in a decade," the CSJ argued. |
Its report says 300,000 people in England are addicted to opiates and/or crack, 1.6 million are dependent on alcohol and one in seven children under the age of one lives with a substance-abusing parent. | |
Abstinence-based | Abstinence-based |
A levy of 1p per unit of alcohol should be added on drinks purchased outside pubs by the end of the next Parliament, the think tank said. | A levy of 1p per unit of alcohol should be added on drinks purchased outside pubs by the end of the next Parliament, the think tank said. |
It estimated this would raise £1.1bn over five years, which it suggested spending solely on setting up a network of more than 350 abstinence-based rehabilitation centres and providing funding to treat 40 people in each of them. | |
The CSJ's director, Christian Guy, told BBC Breakfast: "At the moment we do very little for alcoholics and for drug addicts we just dump them on methadone. | |
"The chance to get clean in this country is the preserve of the wealthy. For the poor, for the people relying on a public system, there's very little choice to get clean." | |
Responding to the suggestion, a Department of Health spokesman said: "We are not considering a tax on particular drinks. | Responding to the suggestion, a Department of Health spokesman said: "We are not considering a tax on particular drinks. |
"Instead, we are reducing alcohol harm by giving local authorities a £5.4bn budget to help them manage public health issues including alcohol and drug services." | "Instead, we are reducing alcohol harm by giving local authorities a £5.4bn budget to help them manage public health issues including alcohol and drug services." |
He added: "We have also banned sales of the cheapest cut price alcohol." | He added: "We have also banned sales of the cheapest cut price alcohol." |
Local authorities had the best understanding of local needs to be able to assess, plan and deliver alcohol and drug services and treatment in their areas, he added. | Local authorities had the best understanding of local needs to be able to assess, plan and deliver alcohol and drug services and treatment in their areas, he added. |
The CSJ made a similar proposal in 2007 when the current Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith was in charge of the think tank. | The CSJ made a similar proposal in 2007 when the current Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith was in charge of the think tank. |
The BBC understands Mr Duncan Smith continues to support the idea. | The BBC understands Mr Duncan Smith continues to support the idea. |