Scotland's alcohol sales have dropped as a result of minimum unit pricing
Figures for the first full year after the policy was introduced show a 3.6% drop
Alcohol sales have fallen in shops across Scotland since the introduction of minimum unit pricing in May 2018, research suggests.
In the year following the implementation of the 50p per unit lower limit policy, the volume of alcohol sold per Scottish adult dropped from 7.4 to 7.1 litres – a 3.6% drop.
This is equal to a reduction of around 26 units per adult every year - or 12 pints of moderately strong lager.
Although sales have dropped, analyses reveal the average Scottish adult consumes around 27 bottles of vodka a year.
Cider sales were hit the hardest by minimum unit pricing, falling by 18.6% per adult while prices rose from 13p per unit to 56p.
Spirits were also down 3.8%, beer sales dropped 1.1%, and wine sales fell 3% as the price per unit jumped from around 47p per unit to 61p.
The only drink that saw a rise in sales was fortified wine which increased by 16.4%.
The amount of alcohol bought at off-licences in England and Wales increased over the same period but remains lower than Scottish sales.
NHS Health Scotland reported cross-border sales are “unlikely to explain the difference'' in the rise, as trends in the North of England were similar to those elsewhere in England in Wales.
Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick said: “This is a promising first full year of data, following our world-leading action to introduce minimum unit pricing (MUP).
“The 3.6% fall per adult in off-trade sales shows we are clearly moving in the right direction, particularly when compared to England and Wales, where there was a rise of 3.2%.
“This sales fall equates to 26 fewer units of alcohol per person annually, on average, purchased from retailers.''
He added: “We have seen a change in the average price of alcohol, with the average price per unit rising by approximately 5p in Scotland compared to England and Wales.
“While the impact of reduced consumption will take a little longer to show, I remain convinced MUP is one of the main drivers in reducing alcohol harm.''
He also urged the UK Government for a 9pm watershed for alcohol adverts, or devolve the necessary powers to Scotland, as he believes this would help further minimise Scotland’s alcohol consumption.
Lucie Giles, public health intelligence adviser at NHS Health Scotland, said: “This is the first time we have been able to analyse sales data covering the full year following the introduction of MUP and it is encouraging that off-trade alcohol sales fell in Scotland following its implementation.'”
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