Bid for minimum pricing policy heads to Brussels

Health professionals are taking their plight to see minimum pricing for alcohol implemented in Scotland to Brussels this week.

Health professionals will head to Brussels this week for a debate on imposing minimum pricing for alcohol in Scotland Photo: The Scotch Whisky Experience

The Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) – a partnership of the Scottish Medical Royal Colelges and Faculties and the Royal College of Nursing – has hit out at what it perceives as “the continued opposition by global alcohol producers to the implementation of Scotland’s alcohol minimum unit pricing (MUP) policy”.

Representatives of the body will head to Brussels to “make the case for health” at a seminar in the city on 5 September and will be joined by industry supporters of the policy, including C&C Group and the Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA).

The Scottish Parliament introduced legislation for a minimum unit price of 50p in the country in 2012 in a bid to tackle the country’s “unhealthy” relationship with alcohol and reduce alcohol-related deaths.

However, the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) and the other European wine and spirits producers embarked on a legal challenge against the Scottish Government’s plans, claiming the legislation breached European law.

Judge Lord Doherty at the Court of Session in Edinburgh rejected the SWA’s legal bid last year, but after an appeal hearing judges referred the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union.

False claims

The SHAAP said written opinions from EU member states can be made to the European Court up until mid-October.

“We need other member sates and the Commission to support or at least not oppose the Scottish policy,” said Eric Carlin, SHAAP director. “MUP is opposed by a consortium of multi-national alcohol producers who, inaccurately, are framing this as a health v industry issue.

“Demonstrating the falseness of this claim, we have speakers from the Scottish alcohol industry who support this policy from an ethical position.”

Dr Peter Rice, chairman of SHAAP, said a 10% increase in average minimum price in Canada was associated with a 32% drop in alcohol death rates.

“Changes in the price of alcohol are a key determinant in rates of alcohol harm,” he said. “This vitally important health policy will save Scottish lives and it needs to be implemented as a matter of urgency.”

A spokesman for the SWA, Rosemary Gallaghar, said it was “unfortunate” the SHAAP continued to call for minimum unit pricing instead of focusing on “effective” steps already being taken.

“Initiatives in place seem to be working – alcohol-related harms and deaths have been falling in Scotland for many years,” she added. “It’s important to debate the issues to identify the best ways to address the problem of alcohol misuse.