Health groups have condemned the government for failing to introduce minimum unit pricing for alcohol and substituting measures to curb excessive drinking that they say will not work. They warn more lives will now be lost.
The Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA), which includes medical royal colleges and specialist doctors, accused the government of buckling to pressure from the drinks industry, which has fiercely opposed minimum pricing.
"Today's announcement confirms that the government has caved in to lobbying from big business," said Prof Sir Ian Gilmore, chair of the AHA. "Alternative measures outlined in today's announcement will have little or no impact - they are just a smokescreen to hide how the government has turned its back on public health."
In a surprising move, Public Heath England (PHE), the quasi-autonomous arm of the Department of Health created in April as a result of the NHS reforms, made clear it disagreed with the decision. In a statement it said it "shares the disappointment of the public health community that the introduction of a minimum unit price for alcohol is not being taken forward at this point, although it recognises that this remains under active consideration".
The U-turn was announced by Home Office minister, Jeremy Browne, who said there was not enough evidence that a unit price of 45p would reduce problem drinking without "penalising those who drink responsibly". Sarah Boseley