Introducing minimum pricing for alcohol would be up to 50 times more effective than current government policy, according to health researchers.
Hundreds of deaths could be avoided every year with a minimum price for alcohol units, researchers estimated.
The Department of Health said it was "taking action to tackle cheap and harmful alcohol".
It added that it was working with industry to promote responsible drinking.
'Save lives'
A minimum price of 45p to 50p per unit of alcohol would save hundreds more lives than current government policy, University of Sheffield researchers said.
The current ban on below-cost selling, which came into force in May, stops retailers from selling alcohol below the cost of duty and VAT.
The ban will save an estimated 14 lives and 500 admissions to hospital per year, the researchers said.
However, a minimum unit price of 45p could save 624 lives and 23,700 hospital admissions each year, they said in a BMJ publication.
Most of the harm reduction would happen for the 5.3% of people who are harmful drinkers, the researchers said.
While the ban on below cost selling will reduce harmful drinkers' mean annual consumption by just 0.08%, or around three units per year, a 45p minimum unit price would reduce consumption by 3.7%, or 137 units per year.
Source: BBC news, 30/09/14
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