The minimum price per unit of alcohol in Scotland will increase by 15 pence from the 30th of September 2024.

MSPs previously voted to continue the public health measure, which had been scheduled to end automatically on 30th April as part of a ‘sunset clause’ when Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) legislation was introduced in 2018. They also voted to introduce a price increase, with a rise to 65p per unit chosen as the Scottish Government seeks to increase the positive effects of the policy and to take account of inflation.

Alice Wiseman, Vice President of the Association of Directors of Public Health, has welcomed the rise in minimum price per unit of alcohol (MUP) in Scotland, which comes into effect today, saying:

“Since its introduction, MUP has had an enormous positive impact in Scotland, which has seen a significant drop in the number of alcohol related deaths and hospital admissions. Today’s rise will help ensure that the progress made so far can continue, and more lives can be saved.

“We have seen a huge rise in home drinking over recent years, with people being able to buy cheap, strong alcohol from off-licenses and supermarkets. This is causing untold harm to individuals and their families and puts enormous pressure on our already stretched health and social care services.

“We haven’t had a new alcohol strategy in England since 2012 and I would urge the Government to take heed of the evidence from Scotland – MUP works and, contrary to industry concerns, barely affects prices in pubs and clubs. Instead, it targets the cheapest, strongest products in shops which is where the greatest harm lies.”

In our 2019 survey of UK Directors of Public Health, 83% of respondents said that they strongly supported the introduction of an MUP in England.

The UK Government has previously said it will wait for the report in Scotland before considering whether to introduce MUP in England.