24 July 2017: Commenting on the report from the Foundation for Liver Research, Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance UK (AHA), said:
“We welcome this report, and in particular the clear and compelling new evidence it provides on the effectiveness of minimum unit pricing.
“Previous estimates suggested that in the first year after the introduction of MUP in England, 192 lives would be saved. This latest research suggests that after 5 years of MUP in England, over 1,000 lives would be saved.
“In addition, £700 million is estimated to be saved in crime costs over 5 years, and with over £300 million predicted to be saved in health costs over 5 years we would see the pressure taken off our hard pressed NHS and emergency services.
“As Scotland appears set to introduce minimum pricing, and with Wales on the verge of legislating for MUP, we urge the UK government to take note of this latest evidence, and to legislate for MUP now. Given what we know about the effectiveness of MUP, a failure to act on the part of the government will mean that some of the most vulnerable in society will die unnecessarily.”