The Welsh Senedd has passed regulations to retain minimum unit pricing for alcohol and increase it to 65p from October. The new rate will bring the country in line with Scotland.
Increasing the rate could prevent more than 900 alcohol-related deaths over the next two decades, as well as reduce the number of harmful drinkers by up to 5,000, the Welsh Government claims. However, interviews conducted for the National Survey for Wales found that some people had been cutting back on food and other essentials in order to buy alcohol since the introduction of MUP. Alcohol-specific deaths in Wales reached a record high of 562 in 2023, 15 per cent up on the previous year.
MUP was introduced in Wales in 2020 and, as was the case in Scotland, the legislation contained a ‘sunset clause’ – meaning the policy would have ended this year had the Senedd not voted to extend it. The Scottish Government increased its MUP rate from 50p to 65p in 2024.
‘Cheap, high-strength alcohol disproportionately affects hazardous and harmful drinkers,’ said health minister Sarah Murphy. ‘The evidence is clear – minimum unit pricing works. We have today taken a decision which will save lives and help protect many people from the harms caused by drinking too much alcohol.’
Inflation had ‘steadily eroded’ the impact of MUP since its introduction six years ago, added Alcohol Change UK’s Director for Wales, Andrew Misell. ‘This increase restores the policy’s effectiveness and ensures it can continue to reduce the availability of the cheapest, strongest alcohol that causes the most harm. While maintaining a minimum unit price for alcohol and increasing it to 65p was the right thing to do, MUP must sit alongside improved support for vulnerable peopleÂ