BALANCE – the North-East’s Alcohol Office – has seized on “shocking” new figures from Public Health England to renew calls for an increase in duty on the most harmful alcohol products ahead of the Budget.

The figures showed that more than 30 per cent of adults in the North-East were regularly drinking more than 14 units of alcohol each week – the recommended limit – which is the highest percentage in the country.

A total of 22.9 per cent of adults were classed as ‘binge drinkers’, more than any other English region.

Meanwhile, the North-East had the highest rate of any region of so-called ‘off trade’ alcohol sales, for example from supermarkets and shops, with 6.7 litres of alcohol being consumed annually per adult.

Last year supermarket and other off-trade beer sales overtook pub and on-trade sales for the first time, signalling a continued shift in how we buy our alcohol.

Balance claimed the region continued to have the highest rate of alcohol related hospital admissions in the country.

Its director Colin Shevills said: “We urgently need the Government to support us in taking steps to make alcohol less affordable, available and widely promoted.

“The Budget is the perfect opportunity to start to redress the balance by increasing duty on the most harmful alcohol products, notably strong, cheap white cider, so often the drink of choice for some of the most vulnerable members of society.”

Dave Roberts, from the Alcohol Information Partnership, which represents eight major alcoholic beverage producers, said: “I don’t think people are particularly price sensitive.

“What we are talking about could just be the difference between buying a product in one shop and buying it in another.

“Broadly the industry believes that the burden of tax on alcohol across all categories is already substantial.”