A study has suggested that new restrictions introduced last year have already led to a reduction in the amount of alcohol Scots are buying

Minimum pricing for alcohol has already cut drinking in Scotland, new research has shown.

A minimum price of 50p per unit was introduced in May of last year.

And a study in the British Medical Journal has revealed that the amount of alcohol bought in shops has fallen since then.

It found the amount purchased per person per week fell by 1.2 units - the equivalent of just over half a pint of beer or a measure of spirits.

Scotland was the first country in the world to introduce a minimum price based on the strength of alcoholic drinks.

Researchers, led by a team at Newcastle University, looked at how much alcohol people were buying in shops and supermarkets, but not in pubs.

They analysed the purchasing habits of 60,000 English and Scottish households between 2015 and 2018. Just over 5,000 of them were in Scotland.

While households in England increased their consumption slightly, Scottish purchasing fell.

Lead researcher Prof Peter Anderson said: "You would expect some levelling off from the initial impact, but I think the findings are enough to suggest minimum pricing is effective and should be adopted across the UK."