Minimum pricing will impact most on harmful drinkers - those who regularly drink more than the sensible drinking guidelines. Those who drink within sensible guidelines will only be marginally affected simply because they only consume a small amount of alcohol and also because they do not tend to buy as much of the cheaper alcohol that would be most affected by a minimum price. A 45p per unit minimum price, which was proposed in the last Parliament, would increase the price of a 70cl bottle of whisky to £12.60. The small increase in the cost of alcohol to moderate drinkers has to be seen in the context of the total costs of alcohol misuse - estimates suggest around £900 per year for every adult in Scotland.
Almost all drinks bought in the pub are already sold well above any likely minimum price, so they wouldn't be affected. The minimum price of 45p per unit proposed at the last parliament will mostly affect cheap white ciders and low-grade spirits with high alcohol content favoured by problem drinkers.
The Chief Medical Officer believes that - like the smoking ban - minimum price would save lives within a year. New research by the university of Sheffield estimated that a minimum price of 45p per unit price, which was proposed in the last Parliament, would result in the following benefits: Research by the University of Sheffield -
- Alcohol related deaths would fall by about 36 in the first year and 196 by year ten of the policy.
- A fall in general hospital admission of 950 in year 1, and 4,050 by year ten of the policy.
- A fall in crime of 2,160 offences per year.
- A financial saving from harm reduction (health, employment, crime etc.) of £606m over ten years.
Some people may not feel that they are part of Scotland's alcohol problem, but through the introduction of minimum pricing, everyone will feel the economic and social benefits of the solution through healthier, happier, safer families and communities.