Scots plan to set minimum alcohol price at 50p a unit

THE Scottish Government today said it wants a minimum price of 50p per unit of alcohol.

The measure is predicted to save 500 lives a year, and will see the price of a standard bottle of wine at 12.5% volume set at a minimum of £4.69.

A 70cl bottle of whisky at 40% will cost no less than £14, while a similar-sized bottle of vodka at 37.5% will be no less than £13.13. A bottle of strong cider at 5.3% will cost no less than £4.67.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon made the announcement during a visit to Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

She said: “Cheap alcohol comes at a price and now is the time to tackle the toll that Scotland’s unhealthy relationship with alcohol is taking on our society.

“Too many Scots are drinking themselves to death. The problem affects people of all walks of life.

“It’s no coincidence that as affordability has increased, alcohol-related hospital admissions have quadrupled, and it is shocking that half of our prisoners now say they were drunk when they committed the offence. It’s time for this to stop.

“Introducing a minimum price per unit will enable us to tackle these problems, given the clear link between affordability and consumption.”

The Alcohol Minimum Pricing Bill is making its second passage through the Scottish Parliament after defeat in 2010.

Labour is the only party not to have supported the revised legislation when it was debated at the first stage in March this year.

Earlier this month, MSPs agreed to a “sunset clause” meaning the law could be scrapped in six years if the policy does not work.