Campaigners hail decision as ‘massive victory’
The decision to allow minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol in Scotland has been hailed a “massive victory” for health and democracy.
Doctors and other health campaigners had supported the Scottish Government in its bid to bring in the controversial policy.
And they hailed the decision by Supreme Court justices to reject an appeal against minimum unit pricing which had been brought by the Scotch Whisky Association as being “Scotland’s biggest public health breakthrough since the ban on smoking in public places”, which came into force backin 2006.
The Church of Scotland and the brewers of Tennent’s Lager also welcomed the decision.
However, the Institute of Economic Affairs think-tank branded the decision “disappointing”, claiming minimum pricing is a policy which “clobbers the poor and exempts the rich”.
MSPS passed the legislation that will bring in minimum unit pricing back in 2012, with the implementation of the policy put on hold as a result of the legal action.
Research into the impact of minimum unit pricing was carried out by the Sheffield Alcohol Research Group at the University of Sheffield,
with director Professor Petra Meier saying this had shown the minimum unit pricing will “reduce alcohol-related health problems in Scotland by targeting the cheap, highstrength alcohol consumed by the heaviest and highest-risk drinkers”.
She added that moderate drinkers would only be “affected to a much smaller degree”, and said: “It is estimated that once it has reached its full effect, the introduction of a 50p minimum unit price in Scotland would result in 120 fewer alcohol-related deaths and 2,000 fewer hospital admissions per year.”
She added that moderate drinkers would only be “affected to a much smaller degree”, and said: “It is estimated that once it has reached its full effect, the introduction of a 50p minimum unit price in Scotland would result in 120 fewer alcohol-related deaths and 2,000 fewer hospital admissions per year.”
Drinkscompanyc&c,which produces Tennent’s Lager and Magners Cider, hailed the “landmark decision”.
Paul Bartlett, group corporate relations director, added: “It is the right move to make, a progressive step forward in tackling the problems of alcohol misuse in Scotland, and we congratulate the Scottish Government on its perseverance.”
Rooney Anand, the chief executive of brewers Greene King, urged the UK Government to consider following Scotland’s lead, saying there were “clear” health benefits.
He added: “This policy will restrict the availability of cheap, high strength, alcohol which has been causing the most damage to communities across Scotland.”