Commenting upon the Court of Session’s ruling that Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) for alcohol in Scotland is legal, Prof Derek Bell, President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, said:
“We welcome this ruling by the Court of Session on minimum unit pricing and look forward to the Scottish Government implementing it as soon as possible.
“The College maintains that this measure is one of the most effective public health tools to reduce the harm caused by excessive alcohol consumption in our society. To reduce alcohol-related harm, consumption has to decrease and the most effective mechanism of achieving this is to increase the price of alcohol.
“Excessive consumption not only harms individuals, but can have a devastating impact on their families, communities and the health service.
“MUP can help reduce the mortality rates associated with alcohol by targeting those products that cause the most harm.
“In implementing this legislation, Scotland will be leading the way in its approach to alcohol, which we hope other countries will follow.
“We hope that its implementation can now move forward without any further delays or challenges.”
1. The ruling is available here: http://www.scotland-judiciary.org.uk/9/1672/Scotch-Whisky-Association-and-others-v-Lord-Advocate-and-Advocate-General-for-Scotland
Contact: Lisa Rooke - 0131 247 3688 / 07717 895628 / l.rooke@rcpe.ac.uk
