BLACKBURN with Darwen councillors are set to call on the government to bring in a minimum price for alcohol to help cut the £68million annual cost of booze misuse to the borough.

The ruling Labour group have put forward a motion for debate at the full Council Forum on Thursday urging coalition ministers to fulfil their promise of a 50p minimum unit price.

In July, the government shelved its plans fearing the change would hit responsible drinkers. Council leader Kate Hollern will advocate the motion saying ‘the most effective way to reduce the harm from alcohol is the introduction of a minimum unit price which would only impact on those outlets that sell alcohol as excessively cheap prices’.

She believes it would also ‘support communities and businesses, including local public houses, who are negatively impacted by sales of excessively cheap alcohol whilst not affecting the vast majority of people who drink safely’.

The proposal is part of a borough-wide drive on the issue of booze-damage masterminded by public health director Dominic Harrison to boost responsible retailing, tackle under age drinking and improve rehabilitation services. Liberal Democrat leader David Foster said: “We shall support this. I am personally disappointed the coalition did not press ahead with minimum pricing.”

Conservative group health spokeswoman Jacqui Slater said: “I expect we will back this motion as it is strongly supported by the director of public health.”

Mr Harrison said: “High levels of alcohol consumption is one of our single biggest preventable causes of early death.”