Scots alcohol minimum price law saving lives: study
Scotland's law setting a minimum price for a unit of alcohol averted an estimated 156 deaths each year, and brought a reduction in hospital admissions, researchers have concluded.
A Public Health Scotland ("PHS") and University of Glasgow study, published by PHS and in The Lancet, indicates a 13.4% reduction in deaths, and a 4.1% reduction in hospital admissions wholly attributable to alcohol consumption, in the first two and a half years after minimum unit pricing was introduced in May 2018. It also concludes that the policy reduced deaths and hospital admissions where alcohol consumption may have been a factor.
Taking England as a comparison, the study compared trends between Scotland and England over the period from January 2012 to December 2020, which enabled it to allow for factors such as Covid restrictions, and trends relative to a control group. There were significant reductions for both men and women, particularly in middle and older age groups, and in the most socio-economcially deprived sectors, driven by a reduction in deaths from chronic causes wholly attributable to alcohol consumption.
The researchers say they are confident there is a link between the introduction of MUP and the reduction in alcohol health harms.
A previous report estimated that alcohol sales dropped by 3% after minimum unit pricing was introduced. A report bringing together all the evaluation findings on the policy will be published in June this year.
Welcoming the findings, Public Health Minister Maree Todd commented: "We’re determined to do all we can to reduce alcohol-related harm which is one of the most pressing public health challenges that we face in Scotland.
"Minimum unit pricing continues to achieve its aim – cutting overall sales, particularly cheap high-strength alcohol, which is often drunk by people drinking at harmful levels.
"It’s also encouraging to see that the research has highlighted that the policy is having an effect in Scotland’s most deprived areas – which experience higher death rates and levels of harms from problem alcohol."