THE impact of minimum unit pricing (MUP) on cross-border purchases of alcohol has been minimal according to a new report from Public Health Scotland.
When an MUP of 50p was introduced in May 2018, concerns were raised that some consumers would simply head south of the border to purchase alcohol at cheaper prices.
Public Health Scotland’s evaluation has found that cross-border purchases have been “small relative to the overall purchasing behaviours.”
The report also noted that only households close to the border were likely to engage in the behaviour and “the extent of cross-border purchasing is unlikely to be large enough to offset any impact of MUP on the outcomes set out in the theory of change.”
