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Gordon Brown’s refusal to ban cheap booze is biggest health failing, claims chief doctor

Gordon Brown’s refusal to clamp down on cheap alcohol is the biggest public health failing of the last decade, England’s chief medical officer has said.

By Laura Donnelly, Health Correspondent

Sir Liam Donaldson, who is about to retire as Whitehall’s most senior doctor, said the Government’s rejection last year of his proposal for minimum prices constituted his biggest disappointment in the role.

He spoke out in an interview ahead of his final annual report, to be published on Mar 15, in which he will say that grandparents are often the best people to instill healthy habits into a younger generation, giving advice to their grandchildren on diet, exercise and the dangers of smoking and drugs.

Last year Sir Liam, 60, said that supermarkets and shops should not be allowed to sell alcohol for less than 50 pence per unit. His recommendation would have doubled the price of many beers and placed a minimum price of £4.50 on a bottle of wine.

Gordon Brown rejected the proposal instantly, saying the “sensible majority” of moderate drinkers should not be punished for the excesses of binge drinkers. The Conservatives also ruled out the idea.

Sir Liam’s proposal had the backing of many senior doctors, including the British Medical Association.

In January the Commons health select committee criticised Mr Brown’s decision, saying: “It is time the Government listened more to the Chief Medical Officer and the President of the Royal College of Physicians and less to the drinks and retail industry.”

The medical adviser said the rejection of his proposal had been his greatest disappointment during his 12 years in post, all with Labour in power.

The majority of his most significant recommendations – including a ban on smoking in workplaces, allowing embryonic stem cell research, and changes to the way doctors are regulated – have been introduced, though some involved major battles.

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Dead smoker has ‘Smoking Killed Me’ signs placed on hearse

A life-long smoker had his dying wish honoured today when he had the words ”Smoking Killed Me” placed on signs in his hearse.

Albert Whittamore, known as Dick, died last month aged 85 after suffering for years from emphysema, a progressive lung condition he blamed on his habit.

He wanted the ill-effects of his smoking to act as a warning to others and dictated in his will that the signs be placed inside his hearse as it passed through his home town of Dover in Kent.

One of the signs was also placed at Mr Whittamore’s graveside, according to his wishes.

Paul Sullivan, of Sullivan & Son funeral directors, said: ”Although he had reached the age of 85, he had been suffering for a while and wanted to do his bit to warn others about smoking.

”He specified that that’s what he wanted in his will. We gave it some thought but after a while we decided that that’s what he had requested.”

Mr Whittamore, who ran a small printing business in a shop below his home, was forced to use a motorised wheelchair in his later years as his health faltered.

A spokesman for the stop smoking charity Quit said: ”We understand Dick had emphysema, which is a lung condition caused by smoking which results in people struggling for breath.

”Dick is sending out a strong message to smokers as he doesn’t want others to suffer.”

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Lessons about tobacco should be in a range of school subjects and take in more than the physical impact of smoking, say public health advisers.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) wants to stop youngsters from starting to smoke.

It wants information about tobacco to be taught more broadly and to include the legal, economic and social issues.

But Simon Clark of the smokers’ lobby group, Forest, warned “no-one likes to be nagged, least of all teenagers”.

The guidance from Nice is intended to encourage intervention before young people start to experiment with smoking.

By the age of 15, more than one in six young people are regular smokers, according to Nice.

Smoking advice

The guidance calls for a concerted range of approaches – with advice on stopping smoking being given a higher profile in the curriculum.

Information about tobacco should be integrated into subjects such as biology, chemistry, citizenship and media studies, suggests the guidance – looking beyond the health advice about the physical consequences of smoking.

There are also calls for “whole school” smoke-free policies, for anyone visiting or using school premises and support for anyone associated with the school who wants to break the habit.

And anti-smoking efforts in schools and colleges should be led by both adults and young people, the advisers say.

“The earlier children become regular smokers, the greater their risk of developing life-threatening conditions, such as lung cancer and heart disease, if they continue smoking into adulthood,” said Mike Kelly, director of the Nice Centre for Public Health Excellence.

Mr Clark, director of Forest, said: “It’s important that young people are well educated about the risks of smoking, but if tobacco is featured across a range of subjects there is a real danger of warning fatigue.

“If they include tobacco in subjects such as citizenship and media studies, I sincerely hope that they discuss issues such as freedom of choice, personal responsibility and the role of government in changing people’s behaviour. There are strong arguments on both sides of the debate.”

Earlier this month health ministers announced a target of halving the number of smokers in England in the next decade.

The number of people smoking has fallen by a quarter in the past decade to 21%, and the proposed target is for this to be 10% by 2020.

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 A plan to halve the number of smokers in England over the next 10 years has been unveiled by ministers.

 The number of people smoking has fallen by a quarter in the past decade to 21%, and the proposed target is 10% by 2020.

Measures being considered include removing branding from packets and banning cigarette vending machines, as will happen in Scotland next year.

Smokers’ lobby group Forest criticised the proposals for eroding people’s ability to make lifestyle choices.

Health charity Ash said that while it supported the plans in principle, there was a need for more detail and stronger pledges.

The government strategy includes a commitment to try to stop young people taking up smoking by cracking down on illegally imported cheap cigarettes.

Every smoker will be able to get help from the NHS to suit them if they want to give up.

And there will be a review of smoking legislation, which could see public bans extended to places such as the entrances of buildings.

Health Secretary Andy Burnham said: “We’ve come so far and now we’ll go even further, to push forward and save even more lives.

“This strategy renews our commitment to virtually eradicate the health harms caused by smoking, and I firmly believe we can halve smoking by 2020. In 10 years’ time, only one-in-10 people will smoke.”

He added: “We will always help people to quit, and smokers should never stop trying. That’s the beauty of the NHS – it’s there to help everyone.

“One day, in the not too distant future, we’ll look back and find it hard to remember why anyone ever smoked in the first place.”

‘Devastating impact’

The government said each year smoking caused 80,000 deaths and cost the NHS £2.7bn.

Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson said the strategy would “discourage children from taking up smoking and prevent a great number of unnecessary and early deaths”.

The smoking ban in enclosed public places was introduced in Scotland in 2006, and in England, Wales and Northern Ireland separately in 2007.

Forest said the ban had had a “devastating impact” on community pubs and further restrictions would accelerate that trend.

Simon Clark, director of the lobby group, said adults should be allowed to make an “informed choice”.

He said: “When the government starts setting targets it is rather dangerous because the only way they can reach targets is to introduce very illiberal, very draconian legislation.

“What we are seeing is a campaign of de-normalisation – I think it is creating a very intolerant, very divisive society.”

Professor Alan Maryon-Davis, president of the UK Faculty of Public Health, said: “It’s good the government intends to keep up the pressure on smoking, the biggest single cause of ill-health and inequalities in health.

“But we do need to see these good intentions backed up by sustained investment in effective strategies.”

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