Minimum pricing
What is minimum unit pricing?
A minimum price for alcohol sets the lowest price an alcoholic drink can be sold for.
In May 2018, the minimum price per unit of alcohol was set at 50p per unit of alcohol in Scotland.
Increasing the price of alcohol is one of the most effective ways to reduce how much people drink and prevent problems caused by alcohol. The aim of MUP was to reduce alcohol-related harm, by:
- reducing, in a targeted way, the consumption of alcohol by people whose consumption is hazardous or harmful (drinking over the low risk drinking guideline of 14 units per week), and
- reducing the overall population level of consumption of alcohol.
Minimum unit pricing works
Public Health Scotland (PHS) led an independent evaluation of minimum unit pricing. It was one of the most thoroughly evaluated policies ever in Scotland.
Key evaluation findings:
- It is estimated that MUP has saved 156 lives and averted 499 hospital admissions per year on average.
- MUP has reduced overall population consumption in Scotland by an estimated 3%, driven by a reduction in off-trade alcohol sales.
- MUP has reduced hazardous and harmful drinking, as people who bought the most alcohol before MUP reduced their purchasing the most.
- MUP has reduced inequalities in alcohol harm as the lives saved by MUP have been among the 40% of people living in the most deprived areas.
- There have been high levels of compliance by retailers and no significant negative impacts on alcohol producers or sellers.
Read our 2-page infographic summary
Minimum unit pricing must be maintained and uprated to 65p per unit
While the results from the evaluation have been very positive, the dual effects of increased inflation and changes in our drinking habits during the pandemic have significantly eroded the impact that MUP has had.
The effect of 50p per unit has been significantly eroded by inflation since the policy was introduced in May 2018, with 50p in May 2018 equivalent to 61.1p in 2023.
Research from the University of Sheffield published in September 2023 showed that changes in our drinking habits from the pandemic will have long term effects on our health, substantially increasing the number of people who will die and be hospitalised due to alcohol. The researchers concluded that to continue being effective, the minimum unit price must be increased and linked to inflation.
Increasing the minimum unit price will give Scotland the best chance to turn the tide of alcohol harm, reduce the death toll and alleviate pressure on our health service and health professionals. Compared to keeping MUP at 50p, an increase to 65p would save around 800 lives in the first five years.
In 2021, Alcohol Focus Scotland, SHAAP, and 28 other organisations, including health and children’s charities and medical Royal colleges, wrote to Ministers to urge them to increase the minimum unit price from 50p per unit to 65p per unit. This is because the policy has been affected by inflation and increasing the price could save more lives.
Alongside an initial increase to make good on inflation, an automatic mechanism should be put in place to link the minimum unit price to a measure of affordability into the future, as proposed by the NCD Alliance Scotland.
Consultation and evidence sessions
Following a consultation in late 2023, the Scottish Government has announced it will bring forward two pieces of secondary legislation, one to continue the policy and one to increase the price to 65p per unit.
Read our response to the consultation
MUP in Parliament
The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee has taken evidence on MUP and is expected to make a recommendation to Parliament in time for a vote by the end of April 2024.
On 8 February 2024, Deputy First Minister Shona Robinson announced the Scottish Government's intention to continue and increase minimum unit pricing to 65p per unit.
On 19 February 2024, the Scottish Government laid orders in Parliament to:
- continue minimum unit pricing beyond the end of April 2024
- increase the price to 65p per unit from 30 September 2024
What next?
The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee will decide on its recommendation to the Scottish Parliament.
The Scottish Parliament will then vote on the two draft items of legislation before the end of April 2024.
Ahead of the vote, we will be campaigning to ensure that not only do we keep this life saving policy, but that it is optimised, by increasing it to 65p per unit.
Separate primary legislation would be required to introduce an automatic uprating mechanism for MUP.
Why is minimum pricing needed?
Alcohol is still much more affordable than it was in the 1980s, mostly due to cheap prices in supermarkets and other off-sales where we now buy most of our alcohol.
This increased affordability has resulted in people drinking more, and in turn, more alcohol-related health and social problems. For example, there are three times as many people dying from alcohol now than in the 1980s. See here for more information on the health and social harm caused by alcohol in Scotland.
There is extensive evidence showing that when price goes up, consumption goes down (and vice versa). Minimum pricing is an effective policy because it targets those who experience the most harm, whilst having very little effect on moderate drinkers.
Despite the positive effect of minimum unit pricing, the pandemic has had a significant impact on our drinking, leading to a dramatic increase in alcohol deaths over the past few years. This is why AFS alongside 35 charities and medical bodies are calling for an emergency response to alcohol deaths, including by uprating MUP to 65p per unit.