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Christopher Snowdon, Head of Lifestyle Economics at the free market think tank, the Institute of Economic Affairs Comments on reports that the Scottish government is set to raise the minimum alcohol unit price by 30 per cent to 65p.

“With deaths from alcohol abuse at a 14 year high, it is obvious that minimum pricing is not an evidence-based policy.

“The official evaluation overwhelmingly showed that the policy has failed but it is a political project and the Scottish government was always going to stick with it come what may.

“Scottish drinkers have paid dearly for the folly of minimum pricing and they will now have to pay even more.”

Notes to Editors

• In July 2023, Snowdon responded to the Scottish government’s consultation on raising the minimum unit price (MUP), calling it a ‘regressive policy’ which ‘has patently failed’.
• In June 2023, Snowdon responded to Public Health Scotland’s (PHS) final report on the impact of MUP by stating Minimum alcohol pricing evaluation is a ‘whitewash,’ says IEA expert.
• In March 2023, Snowdon wrote about The minimum pricing salvage job, outlining issues with the study that claims minimum pricing ‘led to’ a 13.4 per cent decline in deaths.
• In August 2022, Snowdon outlined why Minimum pricing isn’t working.
• In May 2022, the IEA published The Hangover: The cost of minimum alcohol pricing in Scotland, which estimated that MUP has cost consumers £270 million in its first four years.

The mission of the Institute of Economic Affairs is to improve understanding of the fundamental institutions of a free society by analysing and expounding the role of markets in solving economic and social problems. The IEA is a registered educational charity and independent of all political parties.