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In February Minister Swann launched a public consultation on the introduction of Minimum Unit Pricing for Alcohol into Northern Ireland. The date for consultation submission has been extended following a number of requests.
Minimum Unit Pricing is a harm reduction proposal that would seek to target very cheap off-sales alcohol – such as own brand alcohol – and help those who are most likely to come to alcohol related harm. It is unlikely to impact the price of alcohol in the on trade – such as pubs and restaurants.
Minimum Unit Pricing for Alcohol (MUP) is a population-level health measure that would set a minimum price that could be charged per unit (8 mg or 10ml) of alcohol. Any alcoholic beverage has a set number of units. The purpose of MUP ensures that a drink cannot then be sold for a price lower that the number of units multiplied by the MUP. MUP increases the price of drinks, such as own-brand spirits, high strength beers and white cider, which have high alcohol content but are usually very cheap. The more units a drink contains, the stronger it is and therefore the more expensive it will be.
The initiative was introduced in Scotland in May 2018. The first results of the evaluation of the change are beginning to emerge and initial signs are very promising that it is an effective measure, but it is too early to be definitive. NI’s new Substance Use Strategy contains a commitment that a full consultation will be held on MUP within the next year.
The consultation will now close on Friday 27 May 2022.
If you would like to have your say on this important policy proposal you can view the consultation document at www.health-ni.gov.uk
You can check out alcohol related death statistics at https://www.nisra.gov.uk
