Alcohol Bill to be passed by Scottish Parliament

A bill proposing a minimum price per unit of alcohol has been submitted by the SNP to battle the misuse of alcohol in Scotland. The party hopes to “tackle problem drinkers” who purchase “cheap supermarket white ciders, larger and value spirits.”

The SNP had previously tried to introduce the bill as a minority government before the May elections, but it was rejected by opposition parties.

SNP MSP and Vice Convenor of the Health Committee, Bob Doris, told The Journal: “The introduction of a minimum price is backed by organisations across the health and justice professions, by academics, by the licensed trade and increasing numbers of alcohol producers.

"The SNP Government has already put a ban on bulk discounts and promotions in off-sales have been restricted, minimum pricing is a key addition to that legislation.”

The three candidates vying for Scottish Labour leadership have all pledged to oppose the bill. Eastwood MSP Ken Macintosh claimed the proposals did not adequately address problems of education and culture that lead to heavy drinking. However, all three candidates concede that given the SNP’s outright majority, there is little they can do to stop the bill passing.

The SNP expects the bill to result in 50 fewer alcohol-related deaths by next year, and to save £721 million over ten years in “harm reduction”. Current government estimates believe alcohol problems cost the country £3.56bn per year.

Greene King brewery chief executive, Rooney Anand, said “a minimum price for alcohol would go the very heart of the problem” without penalising the majority of responsible drinkers.

A report published by Alcohol Focus Scotland recently showed that a unit of alcohol could cost as little as 14p, and in many cases, cheaper than a can of cola.

Dr Evelyn Gillan, Chief Executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, says that minimum pricing is needed “now more than ever” as supermarkets lower prices of individual cans or bottles to undermine the ban on bulk buying alcohol. She said: “This only serves to reinforce the case for government intervention through measures like minimum pricing if we want to reduce record levels of alcohol harm in Scotland.”