College welcomes Committee backing for MUP increase

College welcomes Committee backing for MUP increase.

The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (“the College”) is welcoming the decision this week by the Scottish Parliament’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee to support an increase in the level of minimum unit pricing (MUP) from 50p to 65p from this Autumn.

Commenting today Professor Andrew Elder, President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, said:

The College welcomes the decision- by a very clear majority- of the Scottish Parliament’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee to back the increase in MUP. This is something we have consistently supported and we now call on MSPs from right across the political spectrum to unite behind the increase when the whole Parliament votes on the matter in the next few weeks.

Public Health Scotland’s analysis of the impact of MUP at its current level provided the evidence of its important contribution in terms of reducing alcohol consumption and preventing alcohol-related hospital admissions and wider harms. An increase in the rate of MUP is essential to sustain and increase the effects of the the policy.

The College remains deeply concerned about the level of alcohol-related deaths and harm in Scotland. MUP is just one of the key tools we support to tackle alcohol harms and in addition to it, we will continue to urge the Scottish Government, working with medical experts and clinicians, to focus on and invest in recovery support and preventative policies.