Minimum Unit Pricing – The First Vote

After a silence of several months on the matter of minimum unit pricing – the price limitation of alcohol supported by the SNP, the Westminster Health Select Committee and the BMA – the topic is back on the agenda. It couldn’t have been more timely given alcohol sales are about to skyrocket off the back of the world cup, which has spawned dozens of cheap offers prior to the opening ceremony on Friday.

Today, MSPs will be debating the Alcohol Etc. (Scotland) Bill, which lays out a variety of methods to curb Scotland’s levels of alcohol abuse. It will pass to Stage 2, during which amendment can be proposed, because the Lib Dems, Labour and the Tories support the the measures within the bill other then minimum unit pricing.

If the bill is successfully amended to remove minimum unit pricing, and not amended to include a limit of sufficient value, then it will likely prove itself as effective as previous Labour legislation aimed at curbing alcohol abuse. For those who don’t remember, Labour were ineffective at best in tackling alcohol abuse, with little to no progress made on the issue either in Holyrood or in Westminster (the sober and sedate body which allowed 24 hour licensing). Labour now seem hellbent on maintaining this reputation, pursuing a heavily partisan agenda where no justification for one exists.

One bright side of the whole affair is that an amendment to outlaw highly caffeinated drinks will be forthcoming. The monks of Buckfast Abbey will be wringing their hands at this news since it will ban their product – a bottle of which contains more caffeine then many heavily caffeinated soft drinks. The potential effects of this cannot be underestimated, although the potential for Buckfast either adapting to the new requirements or being smuggled into Scotland for grey market sale is high and would likely negate any potential benefits. There is also high possibility that those who drink Buckfast and become involved in anti-social behaviour would simply switch to another similar drink, such as MD 20/20, a truly foul but widely available American fortified wine with additional colourings and flavours.

It will be interesting to follow the future progress of this bill. If successful, it has the potential to make far reaching social changes and end part, but not all of Scotland’s dependency on alcohol.

Yet More Minimum Unit Pricing

It should have been made clear by now that Minimum Unit Pricing is a political issue which I’m rather interested in, both in Scotland and in England and Wales.

Consequently, I’ve been interested to note the amount of coverage the Guardian and Observer have dedicated to the issue in the past few days.

Starting on New Year’s Day, we get a short story on Guardian.co.uk about Russia placing minimum unit pricing on vodka in an effort to curb their alcohol problems (which, incidentally far out strip those of Scotland – as least we just resort to Buckfast not home distilled vodka). This was followed on the 2nd with a political cartoon featuring a figure in medical scrubs labelled “NHS” carrying a massive figure in a Union Flag t-shirt drinking a 6 pack of beer. In the Observer on the third, the main story on page 2 and an editorial were both dedicated to minimum unit pricing and the other recommendations of the Health Select Committee in Westminster.

I doubt that minimum unit pricing will become an election issue. After all, it’s not particularly popular and wouldn’t really endear a lot of people to a party that made it a manifesto pledge. However, I am wondering if it’s going to become more of a talking-point, even if it’s just for the Guardian readers.

Up until now, it seems like there has been little discussion of the issue outside of the Scottish Parliament, the Health Select Committee and the various medical bodies which are advocating it, despite the widespread problems with alcoholism, drink related illness and drink related crime. Wider discussion might help to bring forward a better or a more egalitarian solution to the drinking problems in the UK or even win a majority of the public over to the idea of minimum unit pricing.

Minimum Unit Pricing Across The Border

Minimum Unit Pricing seems to have already disappeared into the ether that bills in progress through the Scottish Parliament seem drawn towards, despite being hailed by Labour as a sign of an SNP administration in crisis and being as controversial as the 2005 Smoking, Health and Social Care Act.

However, it would also seem to be enjoying some popularity – with MPs in England. According to a report in the Guardian on the 11th of December, the Health Select Committee, a cross-party body, will, with the support of the British Medical Association and  Sir Liam Donaldson, the Chief Medical Officer, approach the Government urging them to impose a 50 pence per unit price on all alcoholic drinks.

If adopted, this measure would see a moderate rise in the price of beer, cider, alcopops and cheap spirits when bought from an off-license or supermarket. The 50 pence price point is mid-way between the SNP’s initial proposal of 40 pence per unit and the 60 pence per unit price proposed by Scottish Government advisers.

Sadly, despite the cross-party and expert support, Gordon Brown is opposed to the measure because “it is unfair to the majority of drinkers” (Guardian), while the Tory Party oppose it’s principle. It’s worth noting however, that the key difference between this proposal in Westminster and in Holyrood is that Westminister may apply this as a tax, either fully or partially with companies mandated to make up remainder of the price increase. This coule potentially generate much needed revenue for the Government.

The First Minister’s Question Time following the publication of the Select Committee’s report on the 7th of January may make for interesting viewing, with Alex Salmond being handed an ideal weapon  to use against Scottish Labour’s opposition to the Alcohol Bill. It also raises the possibility of further MPs or MSPs following Malcolm Chrisholm’s lead and breaking the whip over an issue which deeply affects Scotland.

Other measures recommended by the report include increasing education regarding the effects of alcohol, giving local authorities greater powers over licensees, targeting irresponsible promotions and decreasing duty on alcoholic drink with less then 2.8% alcohol by volume. Several of these are already in place in Scotland, enacted by both the Labour-Lib Dem and SNP administrations.

What Does Minimum Unit Pricing Mean For Me?

Minimum Unit Pricing is one of the current big SNP policies. In fact, it’s the only policy that’s really being pushed just now apart from the Referendum Bill (due out on the 31st) and the creation of a new Forth Bridge, Scotland’s only foreseeable mega-project.

I still find myself very unconvinced by the policy however. I’m continually faced with good evidence on both sides of the debate, so this post is pretty much an effort to help me come down on one side or the other.

Let’s start with an example:

Of a Friday night, I can often be found in a friend’s flat. The plan normally involves splitting a crate of whatever Tesco has going cheap, watching TV and arguing about politics. Generally, the beverage of choice is Mr Tennent’s Finest Lager, which goes for £10 for 18 cans or 24 cans depending on the offer that’s on during that period. We usually get through 6 or 7 cans each (on top of a few drinks in the pub beforehand). I am happy to admit that this is not particularly healthy behaviour and probably had a negative effect on my short-term memory, weight, liver health and so on.

A standard size can of beer in Europe contains 500ml and Tennents is 4% alcohol by volume. That equates to roughly 2.3 units of alcohol per can. That’s a total of 41.4 units in an 18 can crate or 55.9 units for a 24 can crate.

Half an 18 can crate represents nearly a the whole of a man’s recommend maximum weekly alcohol intake (which is 21 units)

That’s pretty good value for money.

Price-wise, it works out at 24 pence per unit for 18 cans or 18 pence per unit for 24 cans.

Now, there are two prices being floated for minimum unit pricing: the SNP’s proposal of 40 pence per unit and an expert panel’s recommendation of 60 pence per unit. How much would the crate of 24 cans cost under these price points?

24 cans = 55.9 units x £0.40 = £22.36

24 cans = 55.9 units x £0.60 = £33.54

I have to be honest and say I’ll definitely be drinking less at either of those price points. While I’m scraping my way though a Masters degree, I certainly can’t afford to drink more then a few cans at that kind of price.

On the other hand, we might just try splitting something better instead: Tesco normally does a few good malts for £20. These include Laphroaig, Glenlivet and Jura.

According to various websites, a 700ml bottle of 40% spirits contains 34.5 units of alcohol. Bottle-size and ABV vary from whisky to whisky, but I’m happy to accept this as an average.

34.5 units x £0.40 = £13.80

34.5 units x £0.60 = £20.70

So, at the 40 pence price limit, a bottle of good whisky can actually be sold for much cheaper then it goes for now. The 60 pence price point also seems much more reasonable here, especially because I generally pay at least that for a bottle of whisky.

A more useful comparison is the price of a bottle of cheap vodka or whisky. Famous Grouse, Bells and Smirnoff can all be found for sale for around about £10 for 700ml. The 40 pence price point barely changes these, while the 60 pence price bracket changes it a lot. Given that the aim of this legislation is to prevent alcohol abuse and a £3 price rise seems a bit low to have a real effect, I wonder if the Government might aim a bit higher?

Overall, these sums reinforce the claim that this is targeted at those from a poor social background, young drinkers (who are more prone to binge drinking I believe) and those who take advantage of rock bottom prices. If you are prepared to pay £20 for a bottle of whisky or up-market beer, then you probably won’t notice anything (unless the booze companies force up these prices to avoid price association with ‘low end’ brands).

I am becoming more convinced that this will have a positive effect, and probably that desired by the Government, which is to reduce the number of alcohol related crimes, illnesses and deaths.

On the other hand, there are a lot of factors that I haven’t explored. These include the pricing effects on Alcopops, Fortified Wine, White Lightning ‘Cider’, alcohol sold in bars and the effects on the Pub trade in general.

I am much more convinced in favour of Minimum Unit Pricing then I was when I started writing this. However, the SNP proposed minimum of 40 pence per unit seems too low. If they want to see Scotland have the same results as the Scandinavian countries, then I would follow the expert recommended 60 pence per unit limit.