1 May 2018

Scotland is the first country in the world to implement minimum unit pricing for alcohol.

Minimum unit pricing for alcohol comes into force in Scotland today.#MUP #minimumunitpricing pic.twitter.com/7RhZf2gulG

— Scottish Government (@scotgov) May 1, 2018

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon visited a ward at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary treating patients with chronic liver problems.

There will be a minimum 50 pence per unit price to tackle the damage caused by cheap, high strength alcohol.

Research shows the minimum unit pricing is expected to save 392 lives in the first five years of implementation.

The First Minister said:

I am extremely proud that the eyes of the world will once again be on Scotland with the introduction of this legislation

“Our action is bold and it is brave, and shows once again that we are leading the way in introducing innovative solutions to public health challenges.

“It’s no secret that Scotland has a troubled relationship with alcohol. There are, on average, 22 alcohol-specific deaths every week in Scotland, and 697 hospital admissions and behind every one of these statistics is a person, a family, and a community badly affected by alcohol misuse.

“Given the clear and proven link between consumption and harm, minimum unit pricing is the most effective and efficient way to tackle the cheap, high strength alcohol that causes so much damage to so many families.”