Alcohol pricing 'would save £700m'

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon has called for a minimum price for alcohol of 45p
12 April 2012

A minimum price for alcohol of 45p a unit would save Scotland more than £700 million in 10 years, Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon has said.

Ms Sturgeon said that changing the law so alcohol could not be sold cheaper than that would mean 50 fewer deaths from alcohol in the first year alone.

Speaking as the proposed minimum price was announced, she said: "This policy will very quickly make big inroads into the big problem of alcohol misuse we have in Scotland."

Plans to bring in a minimum price per unit for alcohol form a key part of the SNP administration's bid to tackle Scotland's drink problem - which is estimated to cost the country £3.56 billion a year.

While the policy has won support from the medical profession and others, the main opposition parties in Scotland - Labour, the Tories and the Liberal Democrats - are all against the measure and have vowed to vote it down.

However, Ms Sturgeon said: "We have, I think, a golden opportunity to be bold and to face up to a big problem that is costing all of us dear in Scotland."

If a minimum price of 45p was introduced, it would mean a two-litre bottle of supermarket-brand cider would treble in price from about £1.32 at the moment to almost £3.80, while supermarket-brand vodka would go up from about £8 currently to about £11.80.

Whisky from Asda and Tesco would increase from £9.20 and £9.95, to £12.60, according to figures provided by the Scottish Government. But there would be no change for Bell's, Whyte & Mackay or Johnnie Walker, which all currently retail above £14.

But Ms Sturgeon said the policy would have "significant benefits", including 50 fewer deaths in its first year, rising to 225 fewer deaths per year after a decade. She added that there would be 1,200 fewer hospital admissions in the first year while the measure could also result in 22,900 fewer days' absence from work.

Ms Sturgeon said: "The financial savings of this policy across our health service, our justice system and the economy would amount to £52 million in year one and £721 million over a 10-year period."

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