Fury over move to hike cost of booze

Proposals would see prices soar

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FURIOUS drink industry bosses have hit out at Scottish Government proposals to introduce minimum prices for alcohol.

The plan was one of a range of radical new proposals aimed at tackling the country’s binge drinking culture.

Others include raising the minimum age for buying drink in supermarkets and off-sales to 21 and banning cheap alcohol promotions.

But the moves met with an angry reaction from drink industry chiefs who claimed that minimum pricing will hit consumers in the pocket.

The level of the minimum price has yet to be determined, but the government provided an indicative figure per litre at 35p per unit for the minimum price in the consultation document.

This would mean an increase for popular brands like Strongbow cider (up 27%) and McEwans Export premium (up 35%), with even Smirnoff red label vodka and Gordon’s gin also both marginally up (1%). But the biggest impact would be on cheap ciders like Tesco’s strong dry (up 97%) and Orchard Mill (up 108%), and White Lightning (up 71%).

Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: “This will end the heavy discounting which allows strong drink to be sold cheaper than bottled water.”

Benet Slay, managing director of Diageo Great Britain, which produces Smirnoff and Gordon’s, said: “Effective solutions do not come from introducing headline grabbing policies that penalise all adult drinkers.”