Senior health official quits over concerns the government is ‘mates’ with the alcohol industry

Top health advisor quits role accusing British government of working too closely to the alcohol industry with new multi-million pound campaign paid for by drink companies

• Sir Ian Gilmore of Public Health England accused them of a cosy relationship
• He said closer ties would allow the industry to ‘water down’ new alcohol laws
• In a letter he and a colleague said PHE was sharing a platform with the industry

Sir Ian Gilmore (pictured), a senior adviser at Public Health England (PHE), accused his former agency of develop-ing a cosy relationship with big business

A senior health official has quit over concerns that the government has become ‘mates’ with the alcohol industry.

Sir Ian Gilmore, a senior adviser at Public Health England (PHE), accused his former agency of developing a cosy relationship with big business.

He said ever closer ties would allow the drinks industry to ‘water down’ tougher laws on alcohol sales and consumption, the Times reported.

John Britton, who plays the same role at the agency for tobacco, also threatened to resign if the trend continued.

In a letter to The Times published today, the pair launched a stinging criticism of a multimillion-pound campaign by PHE, which encourages drinkers to have two dry days a week.

The campaign is paid for by the industry funded charity Drinkaware.

The letter said it marked ‘a major shift in PHE policy and its willingness to share a public platform with the alcohol industry’.

• 
  Tories’ open civil war rages as Justice Secretary David…

  
  Ex-BBC reporter Rosie Millard reveals she has been living…

Share this article

‘It also demonstrates a failure at senior level in Public Health England to learn the lessons from the use by the tobacco and alcohol industries of voluntary agreements and other partnerships with health bodies to undermine, water down or otherwise neutralise policies to reduce consumption,’ it said.

Duncan Selbie, chief executive of PHE, said the campaign was based on a similar tactic of persuading food companies to cut salt and sugar.

Sir Ian said ever closer ties would allow the drinks industry to ‘water down’ tougher laws on alcohol sales and consumption

‘We want to work with industry in places where people want to be — I want to be where people are. I don’t want to be at a distance saying, “Actually, what you’re doing is high risk and wrong”,’ he said.

‘We know shouting at people, frightening people, wagging fingers at people, doesn’t work. We know that working with people in the lives that they’re leading does work.’

Professor Gilmore said he was not consulted over the shift in strategy and Mr Selbie had ignored his concerns. He and Professor Britton said the policy ignored guidance from the World Health Organisation about avoiding influence from the alcohol industry. Professor Britton threatened to resign if Mr Selbie did not change tack.

Sir Leigh Lewis, chairman of the Drinkaware Trust, said the charity was not a mouthpiece for the alcohol industry. He said: ‘It is saddening to see that false allegations about our independence are being used to undermine serious and genuine attempts to help people moderate their drinking.’

Source: Read Full Article