The British government is proposing a minimum price of 40 pence per unit of alcohol in England and Wales as part of an initiative to tackle overindulgence on drinking and anti-social behavior, which has become a major problem in many town centers across the country. 　　The plan, announced by the government last week, is set to prevent supermarkets from selling alcohol at deeply discounted prices and the consequences of cheap alcohol and irresponsible drinking. 　　Prime Minister David Cameron had promised to crack down on excessive drinking, calling it a "scandal" that costs the taxpayer-funded National Health Service an estimated 2.7 billion pounds, around 4.27 billion US dollars per year. 　　"I said months ago that we needed to get to grips with the problem of super-cheap alcohol that's fuelling violence on our streets and causing mayhem in our Accident and Emergency units and damaging the health of the country. 　　And I think this minimum unit pricing is a big part of the answer.It's mad when you can buy cans of lager for 25p or two liters of cider for less than two pounds. 　　So we need to deal with that and this shows a radical government, not frightened of taking big decisions, rolling up its sleeves and getting on with the job," he said. 　　Supermarkets and drinks manufacturers, however, voiced opposition to the plan, saying there was no proven link between price and alcohol consumption. 　　They said that it's a myth to suggest that supermarkets are the problem of irresponsible drinking, and the minimum price is actually a tax on responsible drinkers.The government said it would consult on the issue before setting the minimum price per unit of alcohol. 　　According to health experts, it is estimated that up to 210,000 people in England and Wales will be killed prematurely by alcohol over the next 20 years.