Major alcohol pricing change comes into force across Wales today
Shops, Trading Standards and support services have received new guidance ahead of today’s change.
Official response and confirmed impact
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, Nerys Evans 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.”
Incident under investigation
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.
