Scotland moves closer to introducing world-first ‘minimum price’ law for alcohol to address health concerns
There were 1,265 alcohol-related deaths in 2016 in Scotland, a 10 per cent increase on the previous year in a nation of 5.3 million people
Britain’s top court on Wednesday supported the Scottish government’s innovative plan to stop people “drinking themselves to death” by imposing a minimum price on alcohol.
Scottish lawmakers want to set a price of at least 50 pence (65 US cents) per 10ml of pure alcohol in a drink, a volume known as a “unit” in Britain, the first time such a policy has been tried anywhere in the world.
The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) – backed by spiritsEUROPE and wine industry representatives CEEV – asked the Supreme Court in London to strike down the Scottish government’s plan. But seven Supreme Court justices in London dismissed the SWA’s contention, ruling unanimously that such pricing is “a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim” and does not breach EU law.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who devised the plan in 2009 when she was health minister, said she was “absolutely delighted”.
“This has been a long road, and no doubt the policy will continue to have its critics, but it is a bold and necessary move to improve public health,” she said.
This has been a long road ... but it is a bold and necessary move to improve public health
The ruling brings to an end a five year legal battle which went all the way to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in 2015. Judges there ruled that minimum unit pricing would breach EU trading rules if alternative tax measures could be introduced.