Minimum unit pricing, which is sometimes called a
"floor price" for alcohol, has been the law since it was
implemented in 2018. The Scottish Government has recently agreed
that the level should be increased, from 50p to 65p per unit. But
Parliament has to approve whether the law stays on the statute
books at all, as it is currently operating as a trial. It is
anticipated that Parliament will vote to make minimum pricing
permanent this spring, with the new price due to go live in
September 2024.
The debate on whether minimum pricing should be made permanent
is centred on a series of some 40-odd studies into whether it has
had any effect. The policy intention has been described as
two-fold, both a whole population approach, trying to get us to
drink less as a nation, and also a targeted approach, addressing
health inequalities in those who drink hazardously.
