The first analysis of off-trade alcohol sales over the full year following the introduction of Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) in Scotland shows the move is having the desired effect, with volumes sold down 3.6%.
The data published by NHS Health Scotland shows the volume of pure alcohol sold per adult in the off-trade in Scotland decreased from 7.4 to 7.1 litres. In England & Wales – where MUP has not been implemented – the volume of pure alcohol sold in the off-trade during the same year increased from 6.3 to 6.5 litres.
The combined effect of these changes saw the smallest difference in per adult off-trade sales between Scotland and England & Wales in the period between May 2011 and May 2019. In the post-MUP year in Scotland per adult sales of cider fell the most (down 18.6%), while sales of spirits fell by 3.8%, and sales of beer remained relatively stable (down 1.1%). Sales of cider, spirits and beer all increased in England & Wales over the same time period. Fortified wine was the only drink category in which per adult sales in Scotland increased post-MUP.
The findings confirm that there was a step-change in the average price of alcohol in Scotland immediately following the implementation of MUP. The average price of off-trade alcohol in Scotland rose by 5 pence per unit (ppu) from 55ppu to 60ppu in May 2018 – a price increase not seen in England & Wales. The rise in Scotland was driven by an increase in the average sales price of beer, spirits and most markedly cider.
Lucie Giles, Public Health Intelligence Adviser at NHS Health Scotland, said: “This is the first time we have been able to analyse sales data covering the full year following the introduction of MUP, and it is encouraging that off-trade alcohol sales fell in Scotland following its implementation.”
She added: “This analysis of alcohol sales and price in the off-trade is one of several in our evaluation portfolio that will examine the impact of MUP on the price of alcohol and population level alcohol consumption. Further studies looking at longer-term, post-MUP data will report in due course”.
The release of the data comes amid growing calls by health campaigners for the introduction of MUP in England and rises in alcohol duty.
A letter sent to the Chancellor this week from the Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA), a coalition of more than 50 UK health organisations, called for an increase in alcohol duty by 2% above inflation to help tackle the harm caused by alcohol and fund the NHS.
Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, Chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said: “Alcohol is 64% cheaper than it was thirty years ago, and its availability at these prices is encouraging more of us to drink at unhealthy levels. It is no coincidence that deaths from liver disease have increased in line with alcohol’s affordability in the UK.
“In order to protect the future health of our society, the Government must take action now by increasing duty on alcohol and investing that money into our over-stretched and underfunded NHS and public services.”
