THE Scottish Government has been consulting industry stakeholders on the effects of the minimum unit price (MUP) for alcohol.
A ‘sunset clause’ in MUP legislation requires the government to evaluate the policy after a five-year period.
MUP came into force in May 2018 following a long legal battle led by the Scotch Whisky Association. Since it came into force, evidence of MUP’s effectiveness from a health perspective has been conflicting. Research published by the British Medical Journal this summer found MUP may not be curbing drinking in the heaviest and most vulnerable users.
