Binge drinking: 'Not exactly clear' that proposal will have impact. Pic: © STV
Minimum pricing on alcohol is unlikely to reduce the number of young people who binge drink, MSPs have been told.
Dr John Holmes, from the University of Sheffield, presented evidence to Holyrood's Health and Sport Committee, which is looking into the SNP's pricing plan.
Research by the university has been central to the Nationalist's drive for a floor price, which is expected to be passed at Holyrood later in 2012.
Asked by Conservative MSP Jackson Carlaw if the potential impact of the policy is being overstated, Dr Holmes said: "Young people is perhaps the only area where I perhaps wouldn't agree with what's out in the public domain.
"If people are saying this is going to have a huge impact on young people binge drinking, it's not exactly clear if that will be the case."
However, Dr Holmes said, research suggested minimum pricing would be likely to bring about reductions in certain types of crime.
He added: "Part of that is to do with some on-trade alcohol being sold at low prices. Part of it is to do with some alcohol-related crime following binge drinking sessions which started with drinking at home."
The Government has yet to confirm what the set minimum price per unit of alcohol would be, although 45p has been used to illustrate the policy.
Mr Carlaw asked the panel if they would stand by the evidence if the policy does not work.
Professor Alan Brennan, also of the University of Sheffield, said he would be "very" surprised if there was no positive effect on health.
But Dr Holmes said he rejected the premise of the question, adding: "We have never advocated any particular legislation beyond saying this is an effective policy."
The committee was also told wider policies on tackling alcohol abuse are working.
The SNP failed to win support for minimum pricing in the previous minority administration. But the party did manage to steer other policies through Holyrood, such as a ban on multi-buy deals such as two-for-one on bottles of wine.
The committee heard that after the multi-buy ban was introduced there was a decrease of 8% for beer sales, 5% for wine and 3% for spirits, compared with the same period in the previous year. In England, beer sales grew by 1% over the same period, MSPs were told.
Andrew Leicester, a senior research economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, argued minimum pricing will have a greater impact on low-income households.
In a written submission, he stated: "Without behavioural changes, the cost to the poorest households of a 45p unit minimum price would be 2% of their total food budget, compared to 1.3% for the richest.
"The impact would also be greatest for those who consume the most alcohol - those buying more than 35 units per adult per week would lose 13% of their food budget."
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