The Public Health (Minimum Price for Alcohol) (Wales) Act 2018 is
part of the Welsh Government’s wider efforts to reduce excessive
drinking, recognising the impacts it can have on people’s health
and well-being.
The new law will address longstanding and specific health
concerns around the effects of excess alcohol consumption, which
is estimated to lead to nearly 55,000 alcohol-related hospital
admissions a year, costing the Welsh NHS over £150m annually. In
2016, there were 504 alcohol-related deaths in Wales.
The legislation supports the Welsh Government’s comprehensive
strategy to tackle hazardous and harmful drinking by tackling the
availability and affordability of cheap, strong alcohol.
The Bill was approved by the National Assembly for Wales in June.
A Bill receives Royal Assent when Letters Patent under the Welsh
Seal signed with Her Majesty’s own hand signifying Her Assent are
notified to the Clerk of the Assembly. The Bill then becomes an
Act of the Assembly.
The Ceremony where the First Minister of Wales applied the Welsh Seal to the
Letters Patent was attended by the Health Secretary, .
First Minister, said:
“This legislation takes a sensible, targeted approach to a very
real and evident problem in Wales today, by tackling the
availability and affordability of cheap, strong alcohol.
“In Wales, we have a proud tradition of taking action to protect
the health of the public. This new law is part of our wider
efforts to improve and protect the health of the population of
Wales.”
Health Secretary, said:
The new law will allow Welsh Ministers to introduce a minimum
unit price for alcohol supplied in Wales. It will make it
an offence for alcohol to be supplied below a minimum price made
up of that minimum unit price, the strength of the alcohol and
its volume, specifically targeting cheap, strong alcohol.
The legislation will target and aim to reduce the amount of
alcohol being consumed by hazardous and harmful drinkers, whilst
minimising impacts on moderate drinkers.
The level of the minimum unit price for this purpose will be
specified in regulations made by the Welsh Ministers, following a
consultation which will be launched this autumn.
The new minimum pricing regime is currently expected to come into
force during the summer of 2019.
