Minimum retail prices for alcohol beverages are fixed in Scotland since May 1. In such a way authorities plan to reduce mortality rate connected with alcohol.
According to new rules, the bottle of 13-degree wine can't be cheaper than 4,88 pounds (a little more than 6,7 dollars), and the minimum price of a bottle of whisky is 14 pounds (19 dollars). The cost of two liters of cider will start from 5 pounds (nearly 7 dollars).
The decision of the authorities was approved also by doctors. 30 death cases per 100 thousand Scottish men were caused by alcohol abuse in 2016. For comparison, in Ireland this indicator was 22 cases, in England and Wales — 14. Every week in the region 22 persons die because of the diseases connected with alcohol and this problem costs 3 billion pounds sterling a year.
Introduction of minimum retail prices was approved by the parliament in 2012, however the introduction of the law in force was postponed because of lawsuits with Association of Scottish Whisky. The British court allowed the authorities of Scotland to establish minimum price of alcoholic drinks only in November 2017.
