THE price of super-strength beers and ciders is set to treble as Scotland took the unprecedented step of hiking up the cost of alcohol.
The policy will see high-strength ciders, which can currently be bought for as little as £3.59, go up to £11.25 while a can of beer will cost at least £1.15.
At the same time, a bottle of wine with a 12 per cent alcohol strength will cost at least £4.50 while a 70cl bottle of whisky will have a minimum price of less than £14.
The Scottish Government has said it intends to push ahead with the minimum unit pricing (MUP) policy as soon as possible after winning a five-year battle with the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA).
However, the Institute of Economic Affairs think tank branded the decision “disappointing”, while the Drinkers’ Voice pressure group says it will unfairly target the poor.
READ MORE: Tributes to the campaigner whose vision was the catalyst for minimum pricing policy
Slightly more than a quarter of Scots admit to drinking at hazardous levels – defined as over 14 units a week – according to the 2016 Scottish Health Survey, while alcohol misuse results in about 670 hospital admissions and 24 deaths every seven days.
The Institute of Alcohol Studies says analysis found that a 50p MUP would have minimal effect on moderate drinkers, while heavy drinkers would drink 134 fewer units a year on average.
The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has contested the government position insisting that the plan will not tackle alcohol misuse effectively and contravened EU trading rules.
It claimed MUP would set a precedent for “equally ineffective and illegal measures” by other countries which could severely damage the Scotch Whisky industry’s export markets and the Scottish economy.
Last night, it accepted defeat but said it would expect both governments in Edinburgh and London to mitigate against the “negative effects of trade barriers being raised in overseas markets that discriminate against Scotch Whisky” as a consequence of minimum pricing.
READ MORE: Tributes to the campaigner whose vision was the catalyst for minimum pricing policy
It has been estimated that alcohol misuse costs Scotland some £3.6 billion a year, the equivalent of £900 for every adult.
Other data shows alcohol is associated with one-third of all major trauma injuries, while the 2014-16 Scottish Crime and Justice Survey found that in more than half of cases of violent crime were perpetrated by someone under the influence In the previous 10 years, half of those accused of murder were under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs at the time of the killing, the same survey found.
Will Linden, acting director of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, said: “This is a historic moment for Scotland. As a country we are taking real steps towards addressing the devastating damage drink has done to our health and communities.
“Far too often it is access to cheap high-proof alcohol which fuels violence on our streets and in our homes. Targeting the lowest price alcohol will help tackle many of the challenges we face.
“However, MUP is just the starting point. We must also address the availability and over-provision of alcohol, while Scots of all ages need to have an honest conversation about the impact that alcohol has on our health, behaviour and pocket”
Dr Eric Carlin, director of SHAAP (Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems), added: “The MUP case has exposed the global alcohol producers as intent on maximising their profits, with no conscience about how they do this, the lives they wreck or how they challenge the decisions of democratically elected governments.
“I hope that the MUP case may signal the beginning of a public health revolution, challenging the neoliberal political consensus that has prioritised globalisation and market deregulation over safeguarding and protecting our most vulnerable people.”
The SWA has said it will accept the decision of the Supreme Court.
Speaking for the Church of Scotland, the Rev Dr Richard Frazer, convener of the Kirk’s Church and Society Council, said: “We see all too often the devastating impact that excessive use of alcohol can have on the lives of individuals and their loved ones.
“The introduction of minimum unit pricing will help to tackle this, saving lives and improving life for countless others. We hope that it will be enshrined in law as quickly as possible.”
Drinks company C&C, which produces Tennent’s Lager and Magners Cider, hailed the “landmark decision”.
The Scottish Licensed trade Association, which represents pubs and clubs, also welcomed the policy, with chief executive Paul Waterson stating: “Cheap priced alcohol has turned Scotland into a nation of stay-at-home drinkers.”
But Chris Snowdon, the head of lifestyle economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs, said minimum pricing would “clobber” poorer drinkers.
He said: “Minimum alcohol pricing is a policy that clobbers the poor and exempts the rich. Most of the beer, cider and spirits sold in the off-trade will become more expensive, but doctors and politicians can relax. The champagne at their Christmas parties will not be affected.”
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