28 May 2021
New study finds that Minimum Unit Price of 50p on alcohol has positive lasting impact
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A new study has shown that a ‘50p per unit’ policy on alcohol prices in Scotland is having a lasting impact on reducing consumption in some of the heaviest-drinking households.
The study, led by researchers from Newcastle University and the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration for the North East and North Cumbria, shows a Minimum Unit Price (MUP) policy for alcohol, introduced in Scotland in 2018, continues to have a positive impact on lowering drinking levels two years on.
The findings, published in The Lancet Public Health (28 May 2021) also showed that the introduction of a MUP in Wales in March 2020 had a similar impact on reducing alcohol consumption for heavier drinking households.
The greatest reductions overall were seen in the purchase of ciders and spirits.
An earlier study – also led by researchers from Newcastle University – found that the MUP policy in Scotland had an early and immediate impact. This latest study shows that this impact is still maintained two years on.
A MUP was more-recently introduced in Wales, in March 2020. This new research shows that Wales has experienced similar levels of early impact as that of Scotland in 2018.
The impact was mainly seen in households that buy the most alcohol – with the exception of high purchasing, very lowest income households, who didn’t change their habits.
These consistent results for both Scotland and Wales suggest that the MUP policy is effective in reducing the amount of alcohol bought by heavier purchasing households.
Professor Eileen Kaner, Professor of Public Health and Primary Care Research at Newcastle University and Director of the NIHR ARC North East and North Cumbria, co-authored the study.
She said: “Alcohol use is a leading risk factor for ill-health and premature death, and if we can reduce alcohol consumption, especially in the heaviest drinkers, we can reduce the alcohol-attributable health burden.
“We know that drinkers at the greatest risk of harm tend to consume the cheapest alcohol, particularly from shops and supermarkets, where prices are much lower. This is why minimum unit price as a public health policy specifically targets lower cost products – and this impact has been seen the most in products such as ciders and to some extent, spirits.
“Overall, Minimum Unit Price is an effective policy that could be widely and easily implemented, and this evidence suggests that it is a powerful but also highly-targeted option to reduce alcohol purchases and, hopefully, levels of consumption.”
Professor Peter Anderson from Newcastle University, led the study. He said: “Our previous work suggested that the introduction of a MUP in Scotland during May 2018 was associated with an immediate reduction in the amount of alcohol that households purchased from shops or supermarkets.
“This latest analysis shows that the policy has continued to make an impact, with data showing a sustained drop in overall units of alcohol bought by some of the highest-consuming households, two years on.
“We can now see that the introduction of a MUP in Wales at the beginning of March 2020 has had a similar impact to the one we saw in Scotland in 2018. It will be interesting to see if this impact is sustained in Wales in the medium term, as it has been in Scotland.”
NHS Health Scotland is also leading a comprehensive evaluation to assess the impact of MUP on a range of outcomes, the complete findings of which will be reported in 2023.
The research
In an attempt to reduce consumption and the harm done by alcohol, Scotland introduced a minimum price of 50 pence per unit of alcohol (8 grams) sold on 1st May 2018. Wales followed suit on 2nd March 2020 with the same minimum price.
This study analysed household purchase data based on bar codes to assess the impact of these policy options in the medium term for Scotland and in the immediate term for Wales.
The team carrying out the research used data from Kantar WorldPanel’s household shopping panel. They looked at over 35,000 British households providing detailed information on 1.24 million separate alcohol purchases between 2015 and 2018, and the first half of 2020.
The investigation looked at:
- Price paid per gram of alcohol purchased
- Alcohol purchased
- Amount of money spent on alcohol.
By using purchase information, rather than in-person surveys, the team could work with a larger and more objective data set.
They analysed the impact of introducing a MUP in Scotland – using purchases in Northern England as a control. They also looked at the impact of introducing a MUP in Wales – with Western England as the control.
They found that data from consumers in both Scotland and Wales, showed the households that tended to buy the most alcohol were those most likely to reduce the amount they bought after the introduction of a MUP.
However, they also found that the highest purchasing households that fell into the very lowest income bracket (the lowest fifth) did not seem to reduce the amount of alcohol they purchased, and so their expenditure on alcohol increased in line with the increase in price.
Lower purchasing households, including those with the very lowest incomes, did not increase their expenditure on alcohol, following the introduction of MUP.
COVID-19 confinement did not affect the results. Whilst household purchases of alcohol increased overall in all four areas during COVID-19 ‘lockdown’ periods, the level of impact of MUP between Scotland vs Northern England, and between Wales vs Western England stayed the same.
North Tyneside mum Joanne Good, whose daughter Megan tragically died in her sleep after drinking strong white cider at a friend’s New Year’s Eve party, is also backing the calls to introduce MUP in England.
In England it is possible to buy 2.5 litres of strong 7.5% cider for just £3.70 – the equivalent of 19 shots of vodka, but the same bottle would now sell for over £10 in Scotland.
Joanne said: “Alcohol is too cheap and far too often ends up in the hands of children. I fully support any measure that increases the price of cheap alcohol and helps the young and vulnerable. I know the impact cheap, strong alcohol can have on people’s lives, because it has devastated ours. My beautiful daughter Megan didn’t wake up after she drank alcohol at a party, and I never want anyone else to go through that.
“It’s clear that minimum unit price is having a positive impact in Scotland and Wales. We really need it here too, now more than ever after a record year of alcohol deaths and worrying numbers of people drinking more since the pandemic. MUP is targeted at the pocket money priced alcohol which causes the most harm and won’t affect the price of alcohol in a pub. We’ve got to do it for the next generation and the most vulnerable in society.”
Dr James Crosbie, GP and consultant gastroenterologist and Clinical Lead for Alcohol for the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System, said: “Last year as the pandemic struck we saw a record year for alcohol deaths, with the worst rates in the country here in the North East, and around three quarters of a million hospital admissions from alcohol nationally.
“Liver disease is on the rise and since 1970, deaths due to liver disease have increased by 400%. NHS colleagues across the country see the harm cheap alcohol causes on a daily basis.
“But this is not just about people drinking at very heavy levels and suffering from conditions such as liver disease. We see patients for a whole range of conditions linked to alcohol consumption, from high blood pressure to seven different types of cancer. The introduction of MUP would prevent a great deal of suffering, and ease the pressure on NHS services.”
In the North East death rates from alcohol rose from 16.6 per 100,000 people in 2019 to 20.0 per 100,000 people in 2020 – a rise of around 20.5%.
Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, Chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said: “This is powerful real-world evidence of the success of minimum unit pricing as a harm reduction policy.
“Westminster has said time and time again that it is waiting for evidence from Scotland and Wales on minimum unit pricing, meanwhile, 80 people a day are dying from an alcohol-related cause. The evidence is here – it’s time for the Government to introduce minimum unit pricing in England in order to save lives, cut crime and reduce pressure on our NHS and emergency services.”
This work achieved extensive national media coverage – details below
Broadcast
Sky Breakfast News, 29/5, 8.10 am – Prof Sir Ian Gilmore and Joanne Good about policy implications
LBC News, 29/5, 8.30am – Prof Peter Anderson interview about research and the policy implications
Sky Radio news (provides bulletin content to around 200 commercial radio stations in the UK) – Prof Sir Ian Gilmore and Joanne Good on the policy implications
ITV Tyne Tees 29/5 – Newcastle University finds Minimum Unit Price of alcohol has positive lasting impact | Tyne Tees | ITV News
BBC Look North 31/5 – lunchtime and teatime bulletins – interview with Sue Taylor Balance North East and Joanne Good – BBC iPlayer – Look North (North East and Cumbria) – Lunchtime News: 31/05/2021
Radio 1 newsbeat bulletin at 12.30pm 29/5 – very brief and was ‘government have confirmed there are no plans to introduce a MUP in England following new research showing its impact in Scotland and Wales’.
Global Radio (Capital, Heart, Smooth) – across weekend on various stations and slots
National online coverage
BBC online – Minimum unit alcohol price has ‘lasting impact’ – BBC News
The Guardian – Experts urge minimum alcohol pricing in England after survey shows success | Alcohol | The Guardian
The Independent – Campaigners call for minimum alcohol price in England after research shows it has positive impact | The Independent
Metro (newspaper) news – Mum of teen who died after drinking strong cider calls for minimum alcohol pricing – Metro
The Times (Scotland) Minimum pricing on alcohol has most effect on heaviest drinkers | Scotland | The Times
Daily Mail (with a government comment) – Campaigners push for minimum alcohol unit price in England | Daily Mail Online
Daily Mirror – Daughter, 16, died in her sleep after drinking cheap white cider at a party – Mirror Online
The Herald (Scotland) Minimum pricing sees sales of alcohol fall by 8 percent in Scotland | HeraldScotland
The Scotsman – Study hailed as ‘powerful evidence’ that minimum alcohol pricing in Scotland reduces harm | The Scotsman (ARC mention)
Morning Star (a socialist title) – Campaigners call for minimum unit price for alcohol in England | Morning Star (morningstaronline.co.uk)
The Sun online: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/15113630/mum-teenage-girl-killed-cider-cheap-alcohol/
This is Money: https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/news/article-9631475/Campaigners-push-minimum-alcohol-unit-price-England.html
Techregister: https://www.techregister.co.uk/experts-urge-minimum-alcohol-pricing-in-england-after-survey-shows-success-alcohol/
Regional online coverage
Chronicle/Journal (North East) Mum of 16-year-old who died after drinking white cider calls for minimum alcohol pricing – Chronicle Live
Bristol Post – Campaigners call for minimum alcohol price in England after success in Scotland and Wales – Bristol Live (bristolpost.co.uk)
Yorkshire Live: https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/campaigners-call-minimum-alcohol-price-20704063
Nottingham Post online: https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/uk-world-news/campaigners-call-minimum-alcohol-price-5471446
Cambridge News online: https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/campaigners-call-minimum-alcohol-price-20704063
Gazette Live: https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/campaigners-call-minimum-alcohol-price-20704063
Gloucestershire Live: https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/campaigners-call-minimum-alcohol-price-5471446
Lincolnshire Live: https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/campaigners-call-minimum-alcohol-price-5471446
Kent Live: https://www.kentlive.news/news/uk-world-news/campaigners-call-minimum-alcohol-price-5471446
Hull Daily Mail: https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/campaigners-call-minimum-alcohol-price-5471446
Daily Post online: https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/campaigners-call-minimum-alcohol-price-20704063
Get West London online: https://www.mylondon.news/news/uk-world-news/campaigners-call-minimum-alcohol-price-20704063
Cornwall Live: https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/uk-world-news/campaigners-call-minimum-alcohol-price-5471446
Derby Telegraph online: https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/campaigners-call-minimum-alcohol-price-5471446
Essex Live: https://www.essexlive.news/news/uk-world-news/campaigners-call-minimum-alcohol-price-5471446
Stoke on Trent Sentinel online: https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/campaigners-call-minimum-alcohol-price-5471446
Leeds Live: https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/campaigners-call-minimum-alcohol-price-20704063
Plymouth Herald online: https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/campaigners-call-minimum-alcohol-price-5471446
Get Surrey online: https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/campaigners-call-minimum-alcohol-price-20704063
Leicester Mercury online: https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/campaigners-call-minimum-alcohol-price-5471446
Bristol Post online: https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/campaigners-call-minimum-alcohol-price-5471446
Belfast Live: https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/campaigners-call-minimum-alcohol-price-20704063
Grimsby Telegraph online: https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/campaigners-call-minimum-alcohol-price-5471446
Somerset Live: https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/campaigners-call-minimum-alcohol-price-5471446
Coventry Telegraph online: https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/uk-world-news/campaigners-call-minimum-alcohol-price-20704063
Chester Live: https://www.cheshire-live.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/campaigners-call-minimum-alcohol-price-20704063
What’s New 2day: https://whatsnew2day.com/campaigners-are-pushing-for-a-minimum-unit-price-for-alcohol-in-england/
Print – England
Sunday Sun (print) – 30th May – pg 5
Shropshire Star (print) 29th May
Yorkshire Post (print) 29th May
Express and Star (print) 29th May
Print – Scotland
The Independent – 30 May – pg 14
The Herald (Glasgow) – 30 May – pg 2
The Courier (Fife) – 29 May – pg 17
The National (Glasgow) 29/5 – pg 13
International (France)
Campaigners call for a minimum price of alcohol in England – | FR24 News English
Reference: Impact of minimum unit pricing on alcohol purchases in Scotland and Wales: controlled interrupted time series analyses – Peter Anderson, Amy O’Donnell, Eileen Kaner, Eva Jane Llopis, Jakob Manthey, Jurgen Rehm – published by The Lancet Public Health Online First – 28 May 2021
Read the research paper – The Lancet Public Health May 2021
Notes to editors
Kantar Worldpanel provided the raw data and reviewed the method description as it describes the purchase data. Kantar Worldpanel had no role in the study design, data analysis, data interpretation, or writing of the manuscript.
Professor Eileen Kaner is a National institute for Health Research (NIHR) Senior Investigator, and Director of the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration, North East and North Cumbria.
Dr Amy O’Donnell is a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Advanced Fellow. The NIHR are the nation’s largest funder of health and care research and provide the people, facilities and technology that enable research to thrive. Find out more about NIHR.
The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and not necessarily those of NIHR, or the Department for Health and Social Care.
No funding was received in support of this study.
Previous, linked study – Immediate impact of minimum unit pricing on alcohol purchases in Scotland: controlled interrupted time series analysis for 2015-18 | The BMJ