Blog Post: Supreme Court makes momentous decision on Minimum Unit pricing in Scotland

Today the Supreme Court has ruled that Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) for alcohol is legal. This is a momentous decision, following five years of legal challenge led by the Scotch Whisky Association. It means that the Scottish Government can now implement MUP and allow a potentially game-changing alcohol policy to finally be introduced. After years of public debate on the merits and politics of MUP, we may lose sight of the basic principle behind it. MUP establishes a minimum price below which a unit of alcohol can be sold. It is not a new tax on alcohol, and – unlike alcohol taxes – it applies equally regardless of the type of drink. In practice, if set at 50p per unit, this means it will only impact on the very cheapest and strongest drinks. Some will become significantly more expensive: currently, a three litre bottle of white cider – equivalent to 22 shots of vodka – can be bought for less than £4. Most products, however, will remain unchanged or face only a small increase in price. MUP will have no effect on pub prices, since almost all drinks in pubs are already sold at well above 50p per unit. This price disparity is why MUP is supported by many publicans. The principle behind MUP is simply to reduce the harm caused by the strongest and cheapest drinks on the market. Estimates from the Sheffield Alcohol Research Group, which are based on the most extensive analysis of price-responsiveness available, predict that a 50p MUP will only significantly impact on people ...
Source: Alcohol Research UK - Category: Addiction Authors: Tags: News minimum unit pricing Source Type: news