Alcohol in Scotland must be priced at a minimum of 50p per unit from May 2018, the country’s health secretary, Shona Robison, has confirmed. Robison said that some alcohol currently costs just 16p per unit and claimed the increase would save “thousands of lives”. The 50p per unit price was originally set in 2012, but implementation has been delayed due to legal action. A Scottish government spokesperson said: “The UK government’s plan for reducing harmful drinking is based on evidence showing how much more harm can be prevented by raising prices than it costs. Minimum unit pricing is also due to be introduced in Wales in 2019.
Alcohol in Scotland must be priced at a minimum of 50p per unit from May 2018, the country’s health secretary, Shona Robison, has confirmed. Robison said that some alcohol currently costs just 16p per unit and claimed the increase would save “thousands of lives”. The 50p per unit price was originally set in 2012, but implementation has been delayed due to legal action. Last month, health experts suggested that a minimum price of 64p per unit was necessary to track inflation in the drinks market. Minimum unit pricing is also due to be introduced in Wales in 2019.