The UK Supreme Court has ruled that Scotland can set a minimum price for alcohol, rejecting a challenge by the Scotch Whisky Association. In a unanimous judgement, seven Supreme Court judges said the legislation did not breach European Union law. The judges ruled the measure was a "proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim".
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Petra Meier, Director of SARG told the press: “Our research has consistently shown that minimum unit pricing would reduce alcohol-related health problems in Scotland by targeting the cheap, high strength alcohol consumed by the highest risk drinkers. Moderate drinkers would be affected to a much smaller degree It is estimated that once it has reached its full effect, the introduction of a 50p minimum unit price in Scotland would result in 120 fewer alcohol-related deaths and 2000 fewer hospital admissions per year."
The Sheffield Alcohol Research Group is made up of a collaboration that contains Professor Alan Brennan, Dr Rob Pryce, Dr Duncan Gillespie and Colin Gillespie from HEDS.
For more information on the work of the Sheffield Alcohol Research Group go here