The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has launched a new report, Taking Stock: Counting the Economic Costs of Alcohol Harm, funded by Alcohol Change UK.
The report argues that tackling alcohol harm must be not just a public health priority but an economic one too. Alcohol consumption has large and measurable effects on workforce productivity, increasing both absenteeism and presenteeism, and in turn, economic growth. Tackling these wider harms of alcohol will require a stronger regulatory approach and changes to alcohol pricing. It will also require employers to take greater responsibility in tackling harm by making alcohol less central to workplace culture and providing better support to those struggling with alcohol.