Today, Sheffield Alcohol Research Group published a new modelling report that concludes Inflation and the COVID-19 pandemic have eroded the effectiveness of Minimum Unit Pricing for alcohol in Scotland.
In response to the report, Sir Ian Gilmore, Chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said:
“The report from Sheffield Alcohol Research Group (SARG) today once again demonstrates that alcohol consumption in Scotland, and the subsequent levels of harm, are sensitive to changes in price. To put it simply, the higher the level of MUP, the greater the health benefits.
“The study highlights the need to ensure that MUP is linked to inflation to prevent the benefits eroding over time. The Scottish Government must use this evidence to further inform their decision to keep this lifesaving policy and set it at a level that retains its public health gains.
“But there is a message for the politicians in Westminster too; over 250 lives every year are being saved in Scotland because of MUP, while the number of avoidable deaths in England continue to rise. The UK Government can no longer, in good conscience, sit on the evidence. It must act on its promise to review MUP in England now.”