Campaigners want to up the price of alcohol by 30 per cent per unit to reduce harm

Campaigners want to increase the minimum unit price (MUP) of alcohol by 30 per cent on what is the fifth anniversary of the pioneering scheme aimed at cutting alcohol-related harm in Scotland.

Public Health Scotland’s (PHS) final report on minimum unit pricing found that the policy reduced deaths directly caused by alcohol by an estimated 13.4 per cent, hospital admissions by 4.1 per cent, and alcohol consumption at a population level by three per cent.

Whitewash

Free market think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs’ (IEA) Christopher Snowdon slammed the report arguing MUP had “no impact on crime, no impact on A&E attendances and no impact on the heaviest drinkers”.

He said: “This is a whitewash that ignores most of the evidence from the government’s own evaluation. Research commissioned by Public Health Scotland shows that minimum pricing had no impact on crime, no impact on A&E attendances and no impact on the heaviest drinkers. Minimum pricing was supposed to make people drinking at harmful levels consume less alcohol. This did not happen. In fact, the heaviest drinking men have been consuming more.

“To claim that minimum pricing was a success, Public Health Scotland has had to ignore the bulk of the evidence and instead focus on a single modelling study based on a theoretical counterfactual. The reality is that alcohol-related deaths in Scotland are at their highest level in over a decade and remain much higher than in England.”

“Minimum pricing was promoted to politicians based on speculative modelling so it is apt that a speculative model is being used to save it from the sunset clause – but minimum pricing has only ever worked in the imaginations of a handful of academics. It has cost Scottish consumers hundreds of millions of pounds and deserves to be ditched."

Positive impact on improving health

Clare Beeston, of PHS, said: “We have seen reductions in deaths and hospital admissions directly caused by sustained, high levels of alcohol consumption, and this is further evidence that those drinking at harmful and hazardous levels have reduced their consumption. MUP alone is not enough to address the specific and complex needs of those with alcohol dependence who will often prioritise alcohol over other needs, and it is important to continue to provide services and any wider support that addresses the root cause of their dependence.

“Those living in the most socio-economically deprived areas in Scotland experience alcohol-specific death rates at least five times greater than those living in the least deprived areas. Alcohol-related disorders are a leading contributor to health inequalities in Scotland.

“Overall, the evidence shows that MUP has had a positive impact on improving health outcomes, including alcohol-related health inequalities, and can play a part in addressing the preventable harm that affect far too many people, families and communities.”

Charge more

Professor Ewan Forrest, a consultant liver specialist at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, a member of the Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems, said: “The 50p minimum unit price was established nearly a decade ago. It seems only sensible that the minimum unit price would increase in parallel with that. I would certainly be advocating for it going up to 65p or more.”

Minimum alcohol pricing evaluation is a 'whitewash,' says IEA expert

Commenting on Public Health Scotland's (PHS) final report on the impact of minimum unit pricing (MUP), Christopher Snowdon, Head of Lifestyle Economics at free market think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs, said:

“This is a whitewash that ignores most of the evidence from the government’s own evaluation. Research commissioned by Public Health Scotland shows that minimum pricing had no impact on crime, no impact on A&E attendances and no impact on the heaviest drinkers. Minimum pricing was supposed to make people drinking at harmful levels consume less alcohol. This did not happen. In fact, the heaviest drinking men have been consuming more.

“To claim that minimum pricing was a success, Public Health Scotland has had to ignore the bulk of the evidence and instead focus on a single modelling study based on a theoretical counterfactual. The reality is that alcohol-related deaths in Scotland are at their highest level in over a decade and remain much higher than in England.”

“Minimum pricing was promoted to politicians based on speculative modelling so it is apt that a speculative model is being used to save it from the sunset clause – but minimum pricing has only ever worked in the imaginations of a handful of academics. It has cost Scottish consumers hundreds of millions of pounds and deserves to be ditched."

ENDS

Public Health Scotland (PHS) has today published the final report on the independent evaluation of the impact of minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol in Scotland. Evidence shows that MUP has had a positive impact on health outcomes, including addressing alcohol-related health inequalities. It has reduced deaths directly caused by alcohol consumption by an estimated 13.4% and hospital admissions by 4.1%, with the largest reductions seen in men and those living in the 40% most deprived areas.

MUP led to a 3% reduction in alcohol consumption at a population level, as measured by retail sales. The reduction was particularly driven by sales of cider and spirits through the off-trade (supermarkets and shops) products that increased the most in price. Evidence from a range of data sources shows that the greatest reductions were amongst those households purchasing the most alcohol, with little impact on households purchasing at lower levels.

Clare Beeston, Lead for the evaluation of MUP, Public Health Scotland said:

“We have seen reductions in deaths and hospital admissions directly caused by sustained, high levels of alcohol consumption, and this is further evidence that those drinking at harmful and hazardous levels have reduced their consumption. MUP alone is not enough to address the specific and complex needs of those with alcohol dependence who will often prioritise alcohol over other needs, and it is important to continue to provide services and any wider support that addresses the root cause of their dependence.

“Those living in the most socioeconomically deprived areas in Scotland experience alcohol-specific death rates at least five times greater than those living in the least deprived areas. Alcohol-related disorders are a leading contributor to health inequalities in Scotland.

“Overall, the evidence shows that MUP has had a positive impact on improving health outcomes, including alcohol-related health inequalities, and can play a part in addressing the preventable harm that affect far too many people, families and communities.”

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