A health charity has praised restrictions on low cost alcohol, with the introduction being evaluated by medical experts

The importance of minimum pricing for alcohol has been highlighted a year on from its introduction.

A minimum price of 50p per unit of alcohol was introduced in Scotland on 1 May 2018.

Ahead of the one-year anniversary, Alison Douglas, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland said before minimum unit pricing was introduced, Scots could drink more than their weekly units for less than the price of a cup of coffee.

“It’s no secret that Scotland has an unhealthy relationship with alcohol,” she said. “In 2017, 1,200 Scots lost their lives, while more than 35,000 people were admitted to hospital as a result of drink. This shocking impact on our health is accompanied by other social harms such as violent crime. Something needed to change, and while everyone accepts that minimum unit pricing on its own will not solve our alcohol problem, it’s a good start.

“Everyone is keen to know what the impact of the policy has been and we’re just a few weeks away from seeing the next NHS Health Scotland Monitoring Report, which will be the first to include data on the amount of alcohol sold in Scotland since the introduction of the policy. However, it is important to remember that that while we hope to see positive indicators in the first year, the effects are expected to build over time. An independent evaluation, led by NHS Health Scotland, will assess the impact of the policy on health, crime and the industry over the next five years, making MUP one of the most thoroughly evaluated polices ever implemented in Scotland.

“Alcohol Focus Scotland remains confident that minimum unit price will save the lives of hundreds of Scots and improve the wellbeing of thousands more.”