Beer is being sold at prices cheaper than water and soft drinks in British supermarkets. Experts reckon that the supermarkets were losing up to 18 cents per can through excise and production costs.
According to them, many major supermarkets were now selling beer for just 50 pence a litre, while the same people sell mineral water for 56-92 pence a litre. The British health department has commissioned an independent review of alcohol pricing and promotion, and has not ruled out changing regulations.Don Shenker, Policy director at health group Alcohol Concern, believes that the prices might have contributed to the UK’s binge drinking problem. “The fact that it is cheaper than their own-brand of cola per litre is appalling. This sends entirely the wrong message to the young drinkers we are trying to steer away from alcohol abuse,” news.com.au quoted him as telling the Mail.
“They will think that if it’s so cheap, it must be OK. We would urge supermarkets to seriously review their pricing policy,” he added. In a report issued by Alcohol Concern, it has been revealed that children can afford beer with their pocket money.
According to statistics from the National Treatment Agency, even 10-year-old children were suffering from illnesses usually found in ageing alcoholics.
Source-ANI
LIN/V
