Minimum Alcohol Pricing will start in Scotland on May 1st 2018
The Scottish government have announced that the will introduce minimum pricing for alcohol on the 1st of May next year.
This measure will make Scotland the first country in the world to bring in a blanket minimum price for an alcohol unit.
The minimum price per unit is expected to be 50p but this may rise after further consultation with the SNP government and relevant parties.
The legislation is designed to combat Scotland’s growing problem with alcohol consumption, which can be seen through the growth of hospital admissions for alcohol related illness.
The biggest change in prices will be on the cheap super strength drinks which are blamed for causing a disproportionate impact on poorer and deprived areas in Scotland.
Alison Douglas, Chief Executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland believes that minimum pricing will have a beneficial effect on Scottish society.
“Minimum unit pricing is effective because it targets the kind of drinking most likely to lead to the greatest harm. The price of a pint in the pub won’t change but the price of strong white ciders and own brand spirits that are mainly bought by dependent drinkers will rise markedly. Sheffield University have calculated that moderate drinkers will only pay around £2.25 more per year. In the first year alone, a 50p minimum unit price will prevent an estimated 60 alcohol-related deaths, 1,600 hospital admissions and 3,500 crimes.”
Although most people accept that minimum pricing should be a good thing, it is still unclear as to whether it will be good for Scotland’s health or the turnover of North of England’s supermarkets!
