‘Important day’ for public health in Scotland

Dr Andrew Fraser of NHS Health Scotland said: “This is an important day for public health in Scotland and we now hope that implementation of this innovative policy can proceed without further unnecessary delay and preventable misery and deaths.”

Gregor McNie, of Cancer Research UK, said: “Alcohol is linked to seven types of cancer including breast and bowel cancer, and the more you drink the greater your risk of cancer.

“A wealth of evidence shows that a minimum unit price for alcohol will save lives in Scotland. “It will also save the NHS money.” Simon Capewell, vice-president for health policy at the UK’s Faculty of Public Health, said: “This will powerfully protect people’s health.

“We urge the UK Government to seize the opportunity provided by this decision and finally end years of prevarication by following the Scottish Government’s lead.”

But the court ruling was not welcomed by everyone, with the Institute of Economic Affairs calling it “a worrying precedent for consumers of other products”.

Its spokesman Christopher Snowdon said: “The court has decided that EU free trade rules can be sacrificed in favour of poorly defined concepts like ‘public health’ and ‘public morality’. In effect, they offer no protection at all.

“Brexit means this ruling has limited practical consequences for the implementation of minimum pricing; Scotland would be able to do it sooner or later anyway.

“But it shows how fragile the common market is in the face of special pleading.”

This will powerfully protect people’s health