Effect of SNP's minimum price on Scotland's drinking culture would be marginal (Midlothian Liberal Democrats)

Midlothian Liberal Democrats <laird.ross@btinternet.com>

Effect of SNP's minimum price on Scotland's drinking culture would be marginal

August 20, 2010 5:39 PM
Originally published by Scottish Liberal Democrats

Commenting on responses to the updated Sheffield study on minimum pricing published today, Liberal Democrat Justice spokesman Robert Brown said:

"The Cebr report is right to state that the SNP's plans for minimum pricing would not really target problem drinkers. Its point that the drinking of harmful drinkers would only go down by the equivalent of a pint of beer a week shows that the SNP Government have a lot of work to do to persuade people that minimum pricing of alcohol would have a significant effect.

"The likely effect on the key issue of Scotland's drinking culture would be marginal - and there are many middle income drinkers who would barely be affected by minimum pricing.

"The SNP Government cannot advance this debate until they have announced the minimum price per unit they are proposing so that Parliament and the public can judge the issues of whether minimum pricing would be legal, whether its effects would indeed be more than marginal and what unintended consequences it would create."