Deaths from alcohol in Scotland are at a 15 year high despite the introduction of minimum unit pricing, official figures show.
There were 1,277 fatalities attributed to alcohol-specific causes in last year, an increase of one death from 2022. Two-thirds of such deaths were men, mostly aged between 45 and 74.
Scots living in the most deprived parts of the country were 4.5 times more likely to die from drink than those living in the most well-off areas.
And the country’s drink-death rate remains the highest in the UK despite the introduction of minimum unit pricing (MUP) in 2018.
The flagship SNP policy was supposed to tackle Scotland’s historic issue with problem drinking.
The Scottish Government raised the minimum unit price earlier this year to 65p. It meant a 12-pack of 500ml Tennent’s Lager rose from a minimum of £12 to £15.60 and a 70cl bottle of Famous Grouse went up from £18.20 from a £14 minimum.
Jenni Minto, the public health minister, insisted today that MUP had saved “hundreds of lives”.
“The Scottish Government is determined to do all it can to reduce alcohol-related harm and we continue to treat it as an equal priority with drugs as a public health emergency,” she said.
“Research commended by internationally-renowned public health experts estimated that our world-leading Minimum Unit Pricing policy has saved hundreds of lives, likely averted hundreds of alcohol-attributable hospital admissions and contributed to tackling health inequalities.
“The forthcoming price increase to 65p per unit which takes account of inflation, was selected as we seek to continue and increase the positive effects of the policy.”
Phillipa Haxton of National Record Scotland said such alcohol-specific deaths had peaked in 2006 and generally fallen until 2012, when the rate started to rise again.
The number of deaths from alcohol has increased sharply across the UK since 2020, with repeated covid lockdowns blamed.
Shona Robison previously supported a rise in MUP despite admitting it was not a “magic bullet”.
The then deputy first minister told MSPs in February that action was needed to “reduce the causes and effects of ill health” – but accepted that access to specialist treatment services remained vital for Scots battling addiction.
A series of legal challenges delayed the introduction of minimum pricing until 2018, when the unit price was set at 50p.
The Record first revealed in November last year that ministers were minded to approve a 15p increase following calls from health campaigners.
David Hume, GMB Scotland organiser in the drinks industry, said: “By design, MUP increases the price of the cheapest drinks and those on lower incomes are disproportionately affected.
“That is unfair and unjustified while any public health benefits have yet to be conclusively proved by data and research rather than good intentions and wishful thinking.
“The benefits of this policy remain theoretical but the threat to one of Scotland’s most successful industries threatening investment and jobs could not be more real.”
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