Alison Douglas says 4,500 Scots have died of alcohol-related diseases in the four years since the Scottish Parliament voted for minimum pricing

Some of the devastating effects of cheap, strong alcohol can be reduced by introducing a minimum price, this is why as the alcohol minimum pricing court case continues this week, public health and charity leaders have come together to reaffirm their support for the life-saving measure.

Organisations including Cancer Research UK, Children in Scotland, Samaritans Scotland, BMA Scotland, Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol & Drugs, and the Children and Young People’s Commissioner have signed an open letter coordinated by Alcohol Focus Scotland.

In the letter we outline the devastating effects of cheap, strong alcohol: people’s health irreparably damaged; unhappy childhoods and families torn apart; drunkenness and disorder on the streets and in homes; young men with life-changing injuries from drunken assaults. A

It is really disappointing that the Scotch Whisky Association has echoed the tactics of the tobacco industry in delaying life-saving legislation

Alison Douglas

ll of this creates a huge, avoidable burden on our GPs, hospitals and emergency services. It’s people living in our most deprived communities who suffer the most, they are eight times more likely to need hospital treatment and six times more likely to die because of alcohol.

At least 4,500 Scots have died of alcohol-related diseases in the four years since the Scottish Parliament voted overwhelmingly to pass minimum unit pricing. The implementation of the policy has been delayed by the legal challenge led by the Scotch Whisky Association.

It is really disappointing that the Scotch Whisky Association, whose members produce some of the biggest global brands, has echoed the tactics of the tobacco industry in delaying life-saving legislation. They have dismissed the scientific evidence and disregarded the democratic process to protect their members’ substantial profits.

The evidence is clear that to reduce the harm caused by alcohol, we need to increase the price. Alcohol Focus Scotland recently checked the prices of cider, vodka, lager and wine in leading supermarkets and licensed convenience stores in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

We found that cider is top of the list for getting the maximum alcohol for the cheapest price. A three litre bottle of White Ace cider at 7.5% abv was on sale at £3.99. This works out at 18p per unit, meaning the weekly limit of 14 units can be purchased for just £2.52 – the price of a takeaway coffee. Cheap cider was sold by all the shops and supermarkets visited, with two and three litre bottles typically selling for between 18 and 24p per unit.

Minimum pricing will raise the price of these very cheap drinks which are favoured by young, vulnerable and harmful drinkers, while moderate drinkers will barely notice any difference to the price they pay. Minimum pricing won’t affect the price of a pint in the pub or a glass of wine with a restaurant meal as these already cost much more than 50p per unit.

Minimum pricing will bring Scotland many benefits – it will help to reduce health inequalities, it will cut alcohol-related hospital admissions and crime and it will save hundreds of lives. We hope that this week the health of the people of Scotland will come before the profits of big business.

Alison Douglas is chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland