Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) is an evidence-based public health policy that sets a minimum price per unit of alcohol. The policy was first introduced in Scotland in 2018 and is currently 65p per unit in Scotland and in Wales.
MUP targets the cheapest, high-strength products most associated with harmful drinking, such as white ciders. It is designed to reduce alcohol-related harm among those drinking at harmful levels and to reduce deaths and hospital admissions. Independent analysis found MUP reduced alcohol-attributable deaths by 13.4% and alcohol-attributable hospital admissions by 4.1% in Scotland (Report highlights the impact of Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) on deaths and hospital admissions – News – Public Health Scotland).
Vanessa Hebditch, British Liver Trust Director of Communications and Policy, said: “Today’s statement confirming that Northern Ireland will not move forward with Minimum Unit Pricing for alcohol is a serious setback in tackling our growing liver disease crisis. Since 2013, alcohol-specific deaths have risen by 65.5% in Northern Ireland, increasing from 206 to 341. Around 70% of these deaths were due to alcohol-related liver disease. These are preventable losses.
“Minimum Unit Pricing is one of the most effective tools we have to reduce the consumption of the cheapest, strongest alcohol most closely linked to liver harm. The announcement not to move forward with Minimum Unit Pricing, risks allowing these rising deaths to continue, with the greatest impact falling on the most vulnerable communities. We urge politicians to reconsider and prioritise evidence-based policy action that protects health and saves lives.”