A flagship health policy of the SNP failed to curb the problems of alcohol consumption, but forced alcoholics not to eat, according to a major study.
Scotland became the first country in the world to introduce the minimum unit price (MUP) for alcohol in May 2018, currently set at 50 pence per unit.
But in a historic report on the effectiveness of the policy, researchers at the universities of Sheffield and Newcastle found “no clear evidence” that would deter alcoholics from drinking.
In some cases, heavy drinkers spent up to 29% less on food, utility bills and other items, according to data collected from 100,000 participants.
The average total alcohol expenditure among this group increased by nearly 30 per cent, from 83 to 107 pounds per week.
The results of 170 interviews revealed that the policy prompted alcoholics to borrow money from family and friends, pledge their possessions, reduce their savings, and forced them to trust food banks or other forms of charity.
Nicola Sturgeon had praised the policy in 2016 as “a vital public health measure with strong support from those working on the front lines of alcohol abuse.”
“It will save lives,” he wrote on Twitter the day after Scottish courts agreed to support the controversial policy after four years of legal challenges by the Scotch Whiskey Association.
“Rising financial stress”
The report, published by Public Health Scotland, revealed that people with alcohol dependence “received little support or information before the policy was implemented”.
The report concludes: “There is no clear evidence that this (MUP) leads to a reduction in alcohol consumption or changes in the severity of alcohol dependence among people who drink at harmful levels.
“There is some evidence that increased financial tension between some economically vulnerable groups.”
The report adds that there was “no clear evidence” that the policy led to an increase in crime and drug use.
The Institute for Economic Affairs, a free market think tank, said the findings would be the “final key to the minimum unit price coffin.”
Christopher Snowdon, head of the organisation’s lifestyle economics, said: “The Scottish Government will try to put a bold It has cost Scottish consumers £ 270 million. ”
People with alcohol addiction responded differently
Professor John Holmes of the University of Sheffield, who led the global study, said that while the MUP was effective in reducing overall sales, those with alcohol dependence responded “in very different ways.” “.
He said: “Some reduced their spending on other things, but others switched to lower-intensity drinks or simply bought less alcohol.
“It’s important that alcohol treatment services and other organizations find ways to support those in financial trouble, especially as inflation rises.”
Helen Chung Patterson, a public health intelligence consultant at Public Health Scotland, said the research “further develops our understanding and vision of this important population and how it has responded” to minimum unit prices ( MUP).
“People who drink at harmful levels, and in particular those who are addicted to alcohol, are a diverse group with complex needs who often experience multiple social and health issues,” he said.
A Scottish government spokesman said they would “study the findings carefully”.
They said that during the 12 months following the introduction of the MUP there was a 2% decrease in out-of-trade alcohol sales and a 10% decrease in specific alcohol deaths in 2019.
The latest statistics for 2020 showed that alcohol-specific deaths had risen by 17% in Scotland, they added.