Economic modelling based on the most recent data is clear that the impact of increased alcohol consumption at a population level will result in continued significant future alcohol-related health harms and widen the health inequalities for the most vulnerable in society. 

The timing of this project has been driven by the growing evidence of significant and increasing alcohol-related health harms within the UK. Alcohol is currently the leading risk factor for premature death and ill-health among 15–49-year-olds in England. The escalation of drinking prevalence at increased and higher-risk levels during the pandemic in the UK to a 32.8% rise in alcohol-specific deaths between 2019-2022, the majority caused by alcohol-related liver disease.