Northern Ireland could follow Scotland in introducing Minimum Unit Pricing on alcohol to tackle its misuse.
Local Health Minister Robin Swann pointed to a study undertaken in 2019 that indicated that alcohol-related deaths were on the rise in Northern Ireland.
He said: “I have been closely following the Scottish Government introduction of Minimum Unit Pricing on Alcohol since 2018 and have been noting with interest the early positive evaluation reports.
“My Department has been working in conjunction with key stakeholders on developing a new substance use strategy and this will be issued for public consultation later this year. As part of the strategy, there will be a commitment to holding a full public consultation on the introduction of Minimum Unit Pricing for Alcohol in Northern Ireland within one year.”
