Scotland sets minimum alcohol price at 50p

The Scottish government is expected to set a preferred minimum price for alcohol of 50p per unit to tackle “Scotland’s unhealthy relationship with alcohol”.

The pricing, laid out as part of the Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) (Scotland) Bill, which is shortly due to go through the final stage of the parliamentary process, is higher than previously expected.
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon announced that the revised minimum price, which was proposed as 45p per unit in 2010, takes into account inflation of “around 5%”.
“A minimum price of 50p takes this into account and will achieve a similar level of public health benefits to what 45p would have achieved in 2010,” she claimed at a gastroenterology ward at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, where 80% of patients suffer alcohol misuse.
“Too many Scots are drinking themselves to death,” she said. “It’s no coincidence that as affordability has increased, alcohol-related hospital admissions have quadrupled, and it is shocking that half of our prisoners now say they were drunk when they committed the offence. It’s time for this to stop.
“Introducing a minimum price per unit will enable us to tackle these problems, given the clear link between affordability and consumption.
According to a study by the University of Sheffield, setting a minimum price of 50p per unit would see 60 fewer deaths, 3,500 fewer crimes and a total value of harm reduction of £64m in the first year.
The change, which will be a condition of license for both the on and off-trades in Scotland, is not expected to affect the sale price of any premium spirits, although the price of many retailers’ own-brand spirits will increase.

A bottle of Glen’s vodka (37.5% ABV), which currently retails at £11.29 or 44p per unit, will have to increase in price to £13.13.