Minimum pricing would have a number of benefits as a measure to reduce alcohol-related harm in Ireland:
- It will save lives
- There will be a reduction in alcohol harm for both the person drinking in a high-risk manner and those around them
- It will reduce alcohol-related hospital admissions
- It will reduce alcohol-related crime
- There will be a decrease in workplace absences due to alcohol
- There will be a reduction in the costs of alcohol harm to the State and taxpayer
- Those who drink within low risk limits are least likely to be affected in terms of spending and consumption, regardless of income levels
- It will not affect the price of drink in pubs, clubs and restaurants
- Larger retailers will not be able to simply absorb price increases, as can happen with other pricing policies (e.g. excise duty)
- It will not affect alcohol exports or lead to job losses
- It will not affect tourism
- It will not significantly impact rates of cross-border shopping; Northern Ireland policy indicates an intention to introduce MUP after a public consultation on the matter.
To read about minimum pricing – and its potential benefits in Ireland – in more detail please see this report, commissioned by the Department of Health from the the Sheffield Alcohol Research Group (SARG) at the University of Sheffield.
Model-based appraisal of minimum unit pricing for alcohol in the Republic of Ireland from AlcoholActionIreland
Minimum Unit Pricing on Alcohol – what is it and what will it mean for me?
A blog from the HSE Alcohol Programme and AskAboutAlcohol.ie