Alcohol Policy UK

Minimum pricing: Scottish deaths fall, IFS call for additional duty measures

Further evidence pointing to the positive impact of minimum unit pricing (MUP) in Scotland has been released via latest figures for alcohol-related deaths.

The figures show there were 1,020 alcohol-specific deaths in Scotland in 2019, 10% fewer than in 2018 and the lowest annual total since 2013. The release reports 2019 is the first substantial decrease in recent years, after a period of general increase since 2012.

'Cautious optimism'

In a blog for Alcohol Focus Scotland, Colin Angus from the Sheffield Alcohol Research Group explores the data urging cautious optimism given what is still relatively early days. Notably, alcohol-specific deaths mainly account for deaths as a direct cause of drinking, with around two thirds being due to alcohol-related liver disease. However, alcohol is implicated in many other deaths - estimated at 3,177 in Scotland in 2019 - which are harder to measure precisely and tend to manifest over longer periods of time. The blog cites, for example, that "in the most extreme case, a heavy drinker who cuts down their alcohol intake in 2019 won’t expect to see a reduction in their cancer risk for a decade, and the full benefit won’t be felt until 2039".

Nonetheless, previous data has shown reductions in consumption following MUP's introduction, with both these and the latest death figures largely consistent with the modelled impacts. Of course many questions remain about the complexity of the policy and variations across groups, and of course what effect the COVID-19 pandemic will be. Notably, MUP targets heavier drinkers, but surveys point to increases in consumption amongst some heavier drinkers, whilst many lower risk drinker's consumption has remained stable or decreased. As such, comparisons in changes between Scotland and England, where MUP is yet to be introduced, are likely to remain crucial in the evaluation.

Meanwhile, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) have released a new briefing on MUP which is broadly supportive, but argues that reforms to the tax system are crucial. Indeed many MUP advocates have long argued that the much criticised alcohol duty system needs changes, whilst in recent years duty changes in the budget have gone against the wishes of public health groups. Indeed, key alcohol groups have been consistently calling for duty reforms that account for public health impacts. The government is currently reviewing the system following the Conservative's 2019 manifesto pledge.

Renewed calls for alcohol pricing tax policy as 14 units available 'for the price of a coffee'

The Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA) have released a new report again calling for policy measures to be taken to address the availability of cheap alcohol. The AHA say it is possible to drink the low risk weekly guideline of 14 units for just £2.68 – about the price of a cup of coffee in many high street chains.

• Cider is the cheapest available product in England and is being sold for as little as 19p per unit of alcohol, meaning that consumers can reach the weekly low-risk drinking guideline of 14 units of alcohol for just £2.68.
• One bottle of the cheapest cider contains more alcohol than eight pints of beer – and costs 8p less than a single pint in a pub.
• For the price of a standard cinema ticket (£7.11), you could buy two bottles of wine, containing 19.5 units, and have 13p change leftover.
• A 1-litre bottle of vodka, which contains 37.5 units, is cheaper than a large pizza at Domino’s (£14.99).

Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, Chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance UK, said:

“The low price of high strength alcohol continues to cause colossal damage to the health of our nation. Alcohol is linked to 80 deaths in the UK every day, as well as seven types of cancer and stroke.

“To tackle the harm alcohol causes, we need to urgently address its price. Alcohol duty is currently too low to cover the costs of alcohol harm to our society. Public Health England estimates that alcohol costs the UK at least £27 billion a year.  Yet over the past five years, alcohol duty has raised just £10.5-£12.1 billion annually. To pay for the costs to society that alcohol imposes, stronger drinks should be taxed more per unit of alcohol. Reforming alcohol duty will help create a fairer system for everyone as well as improving our nation’s health."

The calls follow Scotland's implementation of minimum unit pricing (MUP) in 2018 after a protracted legal battle, with evidence appearing to point to positive changes in heavy drinking.