Scottish Government’s Minimum Unit Pricing Law Increased Financial Strain For Alcoholics

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon addresses the Scottish Parliament on changes to COVID-19 restrictions, in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Jan. 25, 2022. Fraser Bremner - Pool/Getty Images

A flagship SNP health policy on minimum unit pricing on alcohol failed to deliver and also increased financial strain on those most affected by alcoholism, a study has found.

In 2018, Nicola Sturgeon’s Scottish National Party (SNP) introduced minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol, the first country to do so, which is currently fixed at 50p per unit.