Dozens of experts have written to Public Health England to express anger about its decision to work with a charity funded by the alcohol industry.
The letter is the latest in an outcry over the government health body’s decision to team up with Drinkaware.
Drinkaware gives advice on cutting down unhealthy drinking, but is funded by donations from alcohol producers, pub companies and supermarkets.
Public Health England will work with the charity on a new Drink Free Days campaign urging middle-aged people to have set days when they avoid alcohol.
But experts warn partnering the two organisations will ‘significantly damage the credibility of Public Health England’.
The letter comes just days after Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, a senior PHE adviser, quit his job and blasted the government for being ‘mates’ with big business.
Alcohol and drug experts say Public Health England’s decision to work with Drinkaware, a charity funded by donations from alcohol producers, pub companies and supermarkets, ‘significantly damages the credibility’ of the government organisation
Some 46 experts in fields ranging from illegal drugs to alcohol have signed a letter to PHE over its decision to work with Drinkaware, the BBC said.
The letter said there should be a clear line between public health campaigns and industry-funded messages or marketing.
The Drink Free Days campaign will urge people to have two days off drinking every week, in a bid to cut down Brits’ unhealthy alcohol consumption.
But concerns have been raised about where the message is seen to be coming from.
Drug experts wrote in their letter: ‘industry-funded messages and social marketing campaigns should not be a substitute for publicly funded campaigns providing independent and evidence-based information’.
And their comments add to former adviser Sir Ian’s criticism after his resignation last week.
At the time he said his role had been undermined and that closer links between the alcohol industry and the government could ‘water down’ any new booze laws.
His colleague Professor John Britton, also a senior PHE health adviser, indicated he might also resign if the body did not rethink its plan, The Times reported.
But PHE says the Drink Free Days campaign is ‘a fresh and bold step’ in its work to reduce alcohol harm.
PHE said it was ‘steadfast in its ambition to reduce the harms that drinking too much alcohol can cause’ and that it would ‘work together with any partner that speaks to the evidence and shares the same commitment’.
Sir Leigh Lewis, chairman of the Drinkaware Trust, insisted the charity does not speak on behalf of the alcohol industry.
The charity says on its website it is ‘funded largely by voluntary and unrestricted donations from UK alcohol producers, retailers and supermarkets’, but insists it is independent.
Sir Leigh added: ‘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.’