Asda has come under fire for selling cans of lager at a cheaper price than bottles of water .
The supermarket chain is charging just 90p for the four pack of 440ml Skol lager, equal to 51p a litre, while a four pack of 750ml bottles of Evian water costs shoppers £2.91, or 97p a litre.
Don Shenker, chief executive of charity Alcohol Concern, has accused the Wal-Mart owned retailer of encouraging under-age binge drinking and said such deals “underline the need for a minimum price on alcohol “.
“These low prices have a real impact both on under age drinkers and on heavy drinkers from lower social groups,” he commented.
“Major chains such as Asda have a responsibility to weigh up in their minds the impact of these kind of promotions .
“The fact of the matter is price is a crucial determinant of how much we drink .”
The special offer comes almost a year after supermarkets were slammed for their “reckless” booze promotions, with police chiefs accusing the drinks industry of “marketing alcohol to children” and making profits “on the back of misery”.
Asda defeneded its alcohol deal by arguing that it “takes its role as a responsible retailer very seriously”.
A statement by the retailer said: “We believe that all our customers deserve value across the whole of the store whether it’s on lager, a loaf of bread or a litre of petrol .”
“A ban on promotions and the introduction of minimum pricing will simply create incentives for black markets,” it added.
Dr Vivienne Nathanson, Head of Science and Ethics at the British Medical Association, has called for an increase in the price of alcohol .
She said: “Alcohol abuse is a public health emergency. People need to be prepared to look at an increase in price.”
Alcohol-related deaths have more than doubled since 1991 to over 8,700 a year, according to recent figures.
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