ALCOHOL HEALTH ALLIANCE RESPONSE TO SUPREME COURT
JUDGMENT ON MINIMUM UNIT PRICING
Responding to the UK Supreme Court judgment that minimum unit
pricing is legal, Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, chair of the Alcohol
Health Alliance UK, said:
“We are delighted with the Supreme Court’s judgement that
minimum unit pricing is legal and can be implemented in Scotland.
The decision today represents a great victory for the health of
the public.
“Five years ago the legislation introducing MUP passed
through the Scottish Parliament without opposition. It has taken
five years to implement for the simple reason that the Scottish
Whisky Association and others chose to challenge it in the
courts. In that time many families have needlessly suffered the
pain and heartache of losing a loved one.
“This decision has implications far beyond Scotland. Wales,
Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are now clear to
progress their own plans for minimum unit pricing.
“The spotlight should now fall on England, where cheap
alcohol is also causing considerable damage. Over 23,000
people in England die every year from alcohol-related causes,
many of them coming from the poorest and most vulnerable sections
of society. We urge the Westminster Government to act now and
introduce the measure in England. A failure to do so will
needlessly cost more lives.”
Note to editors
Information on the AHA’s campaign for minimum unit pricing, along
with facts and figures on the estimated impacts of MUP, is
available on the AHA website:http://ahauk.org/campaigning-minimum-unit-price-alcohol/
About the Alcohol Health Alliance UK
The Alcohol Health Alliance UK (AHA) is a group of over 50
organisations including the Royal College of Physicians, Royal
College of GPs, British Medical Association, Alcohol Concern and
the Institute of Alcohol Studies. The AHA works together to:
- Highlight
the rising levels of alcohol-related health harm
- Propose
evidence-based solutions to reduce this harm
- Influence
decision makers to take positive action to address the damage
caused by alcohol misuse
