The income from alcohol duty is around £14 billion p.a. The costs to the economy (and this is a conservative estimate) is £21 billion p.a. Those are UK wide figures.
The first figure I'll accept, the latter would need firming up for me.
Burt what do fatso's cost the economy? We already know they cost the NHS far more than boozers. Long term hospital beds, lossed limbs, carers, leased fatso beds, leased fatso chairs, people to ferry them around etc etc.
I am not disputing boozers cost the NHS and society money, but first things first. #barkingupwrongtree.