Scotland to establish minimum unit price for alcohol

[Sunset Tree]

Scotland - BBC News

Supreme court have ruled in favour of the scottish government against a challenge by the scotch whisky association. This has been rumbling on for a few years now since the SWA raised an objection against the policy, claiming a breach of european law.

Will be first country in the world to introduce a minimum unit price.

Quite a strong evidence base that it should reduces the consumption of those minority of drinkers who contribute the greatest proportion of alcohol related harms. SWA objected on grounds of individual freedom which I'm sure many will agree with. I think it's a really good thing from a public health perspective and credit to the scottish govt for fighting the case.

 

[cupid_stunt]

This is the bit that I don't get...

The move is not a tax or duty increase. It is a price hike for the cheapest drink, with any extra cash going to the retailer.

Why give the supermarkets extra profit, why not just take it in tax or duty?

Actually, I may have just answered my own question - thinking about it I don't think the Scottish government has the powers to increase taxes on sales of stuff.

BTW welcome to urban, Sunset Tree.

 

[NoXion]

The move is not a tax or duty increase. It is a price hike for the cheapest drink, with any extra cash going to the retailer.

This seems wrong to me. At least when they introduced the 5p plastic bag charge, the money supposedly goes to wards the environment somehow, although I wouldn't be surprised if that turned out to be bollocks too.

 

[SpookyFrank]

50p per unit is the minimum price. That means five quid for a bottle of red wine, one fifty for Polish lager and over two quid for a can of spesh.

 

[kebabking]

£11(?) for a 3ltr bottle of, err... cider. excellent.

 

[Orang Utan]

If there is to be a price hike, perhaps the funds raised would be better going to charities that work in the sectors affected by problem drinkers - addiction, homelessness, domestic violence etc

 

[DotCommunist]

use spice and smack to take up the slack


thats not an advertising slogan, but a prediction.

 

[Winot]

Presumably although the extra goes to the retailer, everyone earlier in the line will raise their prices accordingly, so the extra profit will go to the maker. Not sure in that case why the Whisky Association are bothered.

 

[Sunset Tree]

I'm not really sure about whether MUP is better than increased taxation. The SWA obviously believe it will reduce consumption and lower their profits, otherwise why object so much? I don't think necessarily anyone will be seeing increased profits.

 

[Sunset Tree]

Presumably although the extra goes to the retailer, everyone earlier in the line will raise their prices accordingly, so the extra profit will go to the maker. Not sure in that case why the Whisky Association are bothered.

Whisky association are deceptively named to make themselves sound a bit classier. It's a conglomeration of all the various companies who produce the cheap white ciders and so on, as far as I know.

 

[Sunset Tree]

50p per unit is the minimum price. That means five quid for a bottle of red wine, one fifty for Polish lager and over two quid for a can of spesh.

I'll feel almost nostalgic for the 28 units of white lighting for £3 days. The reasoning is that these are the drinkers experiencing the bulk of alcohol related harms, presenting to the NHS with liver damage etc.

 

[Orang Utan]

What about those poor White Lightning drinkers who drink responsibly and only have the odd glass as an aperetif?

 

[Sunset Tree]

What about those poor White Lightning drinkers who drink responsibly and only have the odd glass as an aperetif?

The thing with population level public health measures is they're often unfair on individuals. You have to balance if the outcomes are worth it.

Elsewhere MUP has produced clear reductions in consumption and associated reductions in alcohol related poor health. Studies done on regions in Canada before/after introduction of MUP, for example.

 

[Pickman's model]

If there is to be a price hike, perhaps the funds raised would be better going to charities that work in the sectors affected by problem drinkers - addiction, homelessness, domestic violence etc

prisons...

 

[pogofish]

Supreme court have ruled in favour of the scottish government against a challenge by the scotch whisky association. This has been rumbling on for a few years now since the SWA raised an objection against the policy, claiming a breach of european law.

Will be first country in the world to introduce a minimum unit price.

Ahem:

https://www.urban75.net/forums/threads/plan-to-stop-cheap-alcohol-in-scotland.208655

Denormalisation of alcohol

https://www.urban75.net/forums/threads/minimum-alcohol-price-per-unit.293373/

plus others:

When did Canada stop being a country? British Columbia has had minimum pricing since what, 2005/6?

Booze cruise to England anyone..?

Or will I get my Gran's old fermentation pan out of the cellar and get the neep/bramble/oak leaf etc wine going..?

 

[Sunset Tree]

Ahem:

https://www.urban75.net/forums/threads/plan-to-stop-cheap-alcohol-in-scotland.208655

Denormalisation of alcohol

https://www.urban75.net/forums/threads/minimum-alcohol-price-per-unit.293373/

plus others:

When did Canada stop being a country? British Columbia has had minimum pricing since what, 2005/6?

I mentioned Canada in a previous post as providing the evidence base for this. It's just regions of Canada, not the whole country.

 

[kebabking]

The thing with population level public health measures is they're often unfair on individuals. You have to balance if the outcomes are worth it.

Elsewhere MUP has produced clear reductions in consumption and associated reductions in alcohol related poor health. Studies done on regions in Canada before/after introduction of MUP, for example.

i'm assuming he's taking the piss. no one drinks a small glass of White Lightening as an aperetif - i watched a video on youtube where a bloke used it to clean his alloy wheels. it corroded them to fuck..

 

[Orang Utan]

i'm assuming he's taking the piss. no one drinks a small glass of White Lightening as an aperetif - i watched a video on youtube where a bloke used it to clean his alloy wheels. it corroded them to fuck..

Buckfast is marketed as an aperatif - it says so on the label

 

[Pickman's model]

Buckfast is marketed as an aperetif - it says so on the label

only if it's fake. the real ones spell it correctly.

 

[Sunset Tree]

i'm assuming he's taking the piss

Oh yeah, I got that! There is a genuine point though about it affecting responsible drinkers. That's more of a philosophical point around fairness. Scottish government and their public health advisors will be concerned with measurable outcomes.

 

[Pickman's model]

Oh yeah, I got that! There is a genuine point though about it affecting responsible drinkers. That's more of a philosophical point around fairness. Scottish government and their public health advisors will be concerned with measurable outcomes.

doubles and singles and the like...

 

[SpookyFrank]

I'll feel almost nostalgic for the 28 units of white lighting for £3 days. The reasoning is that these are the drinkers experiencing the bulk of alcohol related harms, presenting to the NHS with liver damage etc.

Yeah that white lightning stuff is evil, and I used to drink it so I should know. I do think 50p is a shade too high for a minimum price though, as it'll affect people with limited funds who do enjoy sensible drinks in sensible amounts.

 

[NoXion]

50p per unit is the minimum price. That means five quid for a bottle of red wine, one fifty for Polish lager and over two quid for a can of spesh.

Actually that's a whole lot worse than I thought. Fuck that idea completely.

 

[Pickman's model]

will kill pubs in scotland.

 

[NoXion]

will kill pubs in scotland.

You mean it's being applied to all alcohol sales, not just from off licences?

It gets more stupid, then.

 

[Sunset Tree]

Yeah that white lightning stuff is evil, and I used to drink it so I should know. I do think 50p is a shade too high for a minimum price though, as it'll affect people with limited funds who do enjoy sensible drinks in sensible amounts.

A fair point and perhaps a lower MUP could have been chosen. Minimum of £1 per can of normal strength beer now, even if you buy in bulk.

 

[Pickman's model]

You mean it's being applied to all alcohol sales, not just from off licences?

It gets more stupid, then.

people start going to england and returning with a ton of booze

 

[Sunset Tree]

Will this increase pub prices? I thought they'd already be over 50p per unit.

 

[Pickman's model]

A fair point and perhaps a lower MUP could have been chosen. Minimum of £1 per can of normal strength beer now, even if you buy in bulk.

and normal is... i'd say 5%

 

[pogofish]

Scottish government and their public health advisors will be concerned with measurable outcomes.

You mean SHAAP and RWJF - A bunch of unaccountable/self-appointed/vested interest-laden, control-freaks, discussed here already.