Organisations are pushing for the Scottish Government to raise minimum alcohol pricing
A letter has been signed by over 80 charities, faith-groups and medical organisations asking the Scottish Government to raise the minimum unit pricing (MUP) from 50p to 65p.
The letter, coordinated by the Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) and Alcohol Focus Scotland (AFS) was sent to the government’s health committee.
It comes as the health board prepares to draft new regulations for the governments alcohol policy.
Jane Gordon, a spokesperson for SHAAP, said: “Minimum unit pricing has been really successful. It has been one of, if not the most, evaluated policy in Scotland and across the UK.
“We have not seen any of the unintended consequences that might have come to pass that the likes of the alcohol industry were worried about.
“There has been no economic impact, no increase in crime rates and we have not seen any cross-border purchasing – no one going down to Northern England to buy alcohol and coming back up.
“The increase to 65p means that we would maintain the effects of MUP.
“It would be an extra 200 lives a year lost if we do not upgrade to 65p.
“Thousands of hospitalisations can be avoided, and it would save a lot of money for the NHS.”
Since introduced in 2018, MUP has reduced alcohol related deaths by 13.4%, saving around 156 families a year
Alcohol related hospital admissions have also gone down by 4.1%.
The increase would not only save 800 more lives over the next five years, but also lets the legislation catch up with inflation.
Gordon continues: “We do not want to keep having this conversation every few years.
“Inflation is likely to keep going up and we do not want to keep having to renegotiate the price with the Scottish Government and them having to keep looking at this again.
“The only reason this is being looked at again is because there is a sunset clause in place, and it is the only piece of legislation in Scotland to have that.
“We would like to see some sort of automatic up-rating mechanism to be in place, calculating the appropriate MUP that is linked to some sort of index where the pricing follows inflation, so we do not see that erosion of the legislation again like we have.”
Marie Black, who works at Highspiritdrinks on West Nile Street, was critical of a proposed increase to MUP.
She said: “The minimum unit does affect our business.
“People have gotten used to it but just moan about it all the time, which I cannot blame them for.
“In our cash and carry there have been at least three price rises.
“You feel segregated because it seems to be Scotland, and Glasgow in particular, that get all these restrictions.”
The Scottish Government has until the end of April to vote on any new legislation for MUP.
