Minimum alcohol pricing in Scotland rises by 30% from 50p to 65p

The minimum unit price (MUP) for alcohol in Scotland will increase from 50p to 65p per unit on Monday.

Health experts have welcomed the measure but said government is “dragging its feet” over restricting marketing on alcohol products.

It comes after alcohol deaths in Scotland reached a 15-year high in 2023, hitting the highest level since 2008.

In total, 1,277 deaths were attributed to alcohol-specific causes last year, an increase of one death from 2022.

The mortality rate for those aged 65 and over also reached the highest level since the National Records of Scotland began recording the data in 1994.

Alcohol-specific deaths were 4.5 times as high in the most deprived areas of Scotland compared to the least deprived areas in 2023.

A combination of the long-lasting impacts of the Covid pandemic on alcohol consumption patterns and the level of MUP not being uprated after it was introduced in 2018, means that Scotland is now experiencing high levels of alcohol-specific deaths.

Dr Peter Rice, chair of SHAAP said: “While MUP has undoubtedly mitigated the worst extremes of the impacts of the pandemic on alcohol consumption that have been experienced in many countries worldwide, it’s tragic that last year 1,277 people lost their lives in Scotland directly because of alcohol.

“The Scottish Government must maintain MUP’s effectiveness by uprating it annually so that cheaper alcohol that causes the most harm does not become more affordable over time, but we need to see much more than this if the Scottish Government is going to effectively respond to the public health emergency of alcohol harms in Scotland.

“Instead we are seeing a government that is dragging its feet over plans to restrict marketing of alcohol products in the face of intense opposition from the industry and its allies, with no alternative plans being put in place.

“If it wants to prevent the vast health, social and economic harms caused by alcohol in Scotland, the Scottish Government needs to build on the success of the MUP policy by taking forward measures to reset our relationship with alcohol and protect the health and wellbeing of future generations.”

Public Health Scotland’s independent evaluation of the policy, which spanned five years and over 40 studies, concluded that population-wide consumption by over 3% and targeted the cheap, high strength products associated with the most harms.

MUP is estimated to have directly saved 156 lives and averted 411 hospital admissions every year.

It was also found to have reduced alcohol-related health inequalities by reducing harms most in men and people living in Scotland’s most deprived areas, who are worst affected;

The body said the MUP hasn’t been associated with any significant unintended consequences, including negative financial effects on the alcohol industry or the economy.

The Scottish Government has been contacted for comment.