Responding to the Welsh Government’s decision to consult on the introduction of a minimum unit price for alcohol, the ALMR has voiced its concerns over the effectiveness of such a measure.
ALMR Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “We are wary that the introduction of a minimum unit price alone will not address any perceived harms. Around 70% of alcohol is consumed away from licensed premises in an unsupervised environment. Minimum unit pricing for alcohol alone is unlikely to address this and will obviously have a knock-on effect for pubs and bars that do offer a safe, supervised environment. The number of people drinking to excess has been falling and continues to do so, but we are still left with a situation whereby supermarkets offer heavily discounted prices.
“If the Welsh Government is serious about dealing with alcohol-related harms, a better course of action would be to focus on controlling unrestricted off-trade promotions and subject supermarkets to the same rigorous controls as pubs and bars.
“We are also concerned that the legality of this move is far from clear and it is surprising to see the Welsh Government consulting before the European Court of Justice makes its ruling.”
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