From today (Thursday 1 October) the minimum price of a unit of
alcohol will increase in Wales from 50p to 65p in a move which is
expected to save hundreds of lives.
The minimum unit price for alcohol (MUP) is designed to tackle
alcohol-related harm, including hospital admissions and deaths,
by reducing alcohol consumption among hazardous and harmful
drinkers.
Experts believe the move coming into force today could prevent
more than 900 alcohol-related deaths and help nearly 5,000 people
cut down on harmful drinking in Wales over the next 20 years.
Wales will now charge the same minimum price as Scotland.
As part of independent evaluations in January 2025, the Operation
and Effect Report in June 2025 and subsequent consultation on the
continuation and increase of the minimum price it was evidenced
that the 50p rate has been impacted by inflation and reduced its
value in real terms to 39p in 2020 prices. Raising the MUP to 65p
helps fix this.
Shops, Trading Standards and support services have received new
guidance ahead of today's change.
Minimum Unit Pricing is one of several actions the Welsh
Government takes to help tackle inequality and improve health
outcomes. It invests over £68 million to help people affected by
alcohol and drug use, including more than £41 million that goes
directly to local support services across Wales.
Deputy Minister for Public and Preventative Health, said: Every one of the hundreds
of lives this change could save is someone's parent, partner or
child. That's why this matters.
Evidence shows that the introduction of the minimum unit price
for alcohol has made an important contribution in tackling the
health risks associated with excessive alcohol consumption.
But we also know that that the 50p minimum price has been made
less effective by inflation, so raising it to 65p is not about
punishing people who drink responsibly, it's about closing that
gap and making sure the MUP keeps doing its job by keeping high
strength low-cost alcohol off the shelves.
Director for Wales at the charity Alcohol Change UK, Andrew
Misell said: "Minimum unit pricing targets the strongest cheapest
drinks, that often cause the greatest harm.
This new 65p minimum unit price will keep big bottles of
super-strength cider off the shelves, and also make it more
difficult for supermarkets to offer bulk discounts, where
alcoholic drinks get cheaper the more you buy. And all this
without pushing up the price of a pint in pubs.
