18 Oct 2024
Alcohol Action Ireland warmly welcomes reports that Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) looks set to be introduced in Northern Ireland. MUP is an evidence-based public health measure which provides a floor price beneath which alcohol cannot be sold. It was introduced in Ireland in January 2022 and is also in place in Scotland and Wales.
It specifically targets cheap, high strength alcohol which is often available at pocket money prices and which carries particular risks for groups such as young people and heavy drinkers.
There is a good opportunity for policy makers in N. Ireland to learn from other jurisdictions and lead the way in terms of its implementation. In particular, there is a clear need for any such pricing structure to be linked to the consumer price index so that automatic uprating occurs annually in order that public health benefits are maintained. It also provides an opportunity for a levy on alcohol sales to be included which should be ringfenced for services to address the harm caused by alcohol.
Scotland has recently increased its MUP level following an extensive evaluation of the measure which found that that there were 156 lives saved and 411 hospital admissions averted each year, on average. These improvements have been mainly within the most socially deprived areas, meaning that the policy is reducing inequalities in alcohol harm.
Commenting on the issue, CEO of Alcohol Action Ireland, Dr Sheila Gilheany, said:
‘This is very welcome news and we urge NI Minister Mike Nesbit to act swiftly. Alcohol harm unfortunately devastates families and lives right across the island of Ireland. MUP is a straightforward measure which can reduce some of that harm. When MUP was introduced in Ireland there was a drop in alcohol consumption of 5% compared to pre-pandemic times with likely improvements in health outcomes.
Multiple bodies including the World Health Organization, the OECD and the International Monetary Fund point to the importance of alcohol price controls in addressing alcohol issues and for such measures to keep pace with inflation. In Ireland, legislation provides for increases in the level of MUP from January 2025.
The current level of €1 per 10 grammes of alcohol (equivalent to a standard drink) was first proposed in 2013 but not actually implemented until a decade later. An examination of alcohol affordability in Ireland found that in 2023, alcohol in Ireland was still highly affordable with MUP only bringing the price back to where they were 20 years ago.
There was a missed opportunity to increase excise duties in the recent budget which should also form an important part of a public health approach to alcohol prices. Excise duties have not been increased in 11 years. We are calling on Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly to make clear his plans in relation to MUP and to use the introduction of MUP in NI to ensure that a public health approach is maintained and enhanced in relation to alcohol pricing across the island.’
Ends
Notes
- Alcohol consumption data available here.
- Alcohol affordability in Ireland. Report from Sheffield University.
- Evaluating the impact of alcohol minimum unit pricing (MUP) on alcohol-attributable deaths and hospital admissions in Scotland (publichealthscotland.scot)
