The Scottish government last week introduced the Alcohol Bill, proposing a number of measures to tackle alcohol-related harm including a 40 pence per unit minimum price. However opposition parties have spoken out against the bill which could be defeated in Parliament. They have stated that pricing measures do not tackle the underlying reasons why people drink harmfully and questioned whether they comply with EU competition law.
But opposition parties have come under fire by senior police officers and health campaigners for opposing the bill. Alex Salmond, the Scottish National Party (SNP) first minister leading the bill, accused Labour of putting political advantage ahead of saving lives.
The SNP have continued to fight challengers of minimum pricing by highlighting support and trying to debunk the 'myth that minimum pricing punishes the sensible majority'. The Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon stated earlier this month that findings "...shatter the myth that minimum pricing would punish responsible drinkers. The truth is that the great majority of drinks would see no price rise at all." The SNP have also produced an interactive tool to show how a minimum price would affect different drinks.
See here for an interesting piece on Scotland's minimum pricing issues by the BBC Scotland business and economy editor, Douglas Fraser.
Comments