Scotland was the first country in the world to introduce a minimum price for alcoholic beverages on 1 May. The Scottish Parliament had already passed the law in 2012 with a transition period of several years. According to the law, a bottle of wine there must now cost at least 4.69 pounds, the equivalent of 5.32 euros. The "minimum unit price" (MUP) for a pack of four half-litre cans of beer is therefore four pounds (4.34 euros) and for a bottle of whisky 14 pounds (15.89 euros).
The reason for this regulation, which is unique in the world, is the widespread abuse of alcohol among the Scottish population. According to the government, an average of 22 deaths and 697 clinical emergencies occur every week in the country of 5.3 million people.
Restaurants and pubs are not affected by the regulation, as their bar prices are usually well above the legal minimum prices. Moreover, the significantly higher price does not have to be paid as tax by the retailers, it only increases their turnover per bottle. The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) had filed several lawsuits against the regulation, but lost in the final proceedings before the Supreme Court in November 2017.
(uka)