There has been a lively debate on our Letters Pages over the past week on the topic of alcohol sales, sparked by the Scottish Parliament’s decision to raise the minimum unit price from 50p a unit to 65p.
Today one of our readers proposes a new way to regulate the price north of the Border.
Carl Bush of Lamlash, Arran writes:
"The Minimum Unit Pricing of alchohol policy on alcohol (Letters, April 22, 24, 25 & 26) mostly affects low-income people, who are the most likely to need a glass or two to give them some small pleasure at the end of the day.
"The retailers keep the unearned and undeserved extra profits. It is not collected by the Scottish administration.
"The analysis on the data supports the explanation that it is the cost of living crisis that has reduced the spend of moderate drinkers. Problem drinkers, the supposed target of this policy, remain undeterred.
"Problem drinkers are in all social classes, so MUP is failing because the only drinks that are increased are the cheapest.
"A fairer way is to apply a Scottish element to the alcohol duty similar to the Scottish tax codes in the UK PAYE system."
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