MSs back new regulations to tackle alcohol misuse in Wales

The Senedd has approved new regulations aimed at tackling alcohol misuse in Wales, extending the country’s minimum unit pricing policy and increasing the minimum price of alcohol from 50p to 65p per unit.

The vote means minimum unit pricing (MUP) will continue beyond its original end date and be brought into line with the rate already in place in Scotland.

The policy is designed to reduce alcohol-related harm by limiting access to the cheapest, strongest alcohol, which is most often linked to hazardous and harmful drinking.

Independent research commissioned by the Welsh Government suggests the increase could have a significant long-term impact. The modelling estimates that raising the minimum unit price to 65p could prevent more than 900 alcohol-related deaths over the next 20 years and reduce the number of harmful drinkers in Wales by almost 5,000.

Following the vote, Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing Sarah Murphy said the evidence in support of the policy was clear.

“Cheap, high-strength alcohol disproportionately affects hazardous and harmful drinkers,” she said. “Minimum unit pricing works. We have today taken a decision which will save lives and help protect many people from the harms caused by drinking too much alcohol.”

Public health organisations also welcomed the decision. Alcohol Change UK’s director for Wales, Andrew Misell, said inflation had weakened the impact of minimum pricing since its introduction.

“Inflation has steadily eroded the impact of the minimum unit price since it was introduced in 2020,” he said. “This increase restores the policy’s effectiveness and ensures it can continue to reduce the availability of the cheapest, strongest alcohol that causes the most harm.”

Problem drinking

However, the move has been strongly criticised by the Welsh Conservatives. Party leader Darren Millar MS said Labour and Plaid Cymru were “teaming up to push up the price of beer, cider and wine”.

He argued that minimum unit pricing had failed, claiming it had penalised moderate drinkers while doing little to address problem drinking.

“Minimum unit pricing has not worked,” he said. “It has only served to hit hard-pressed Welsh consumers who don’t have a drink problem, and has resulted in problem drinkers consuming stronger alcohol and going without food or heating.

“The Welsh Conservatives will scrap minimum unit pricing, lower costs for consumers, and instead invest in targeted rehabilitation support for those struggling with alcohol abuse.”

Minimum unit pricing was first introduced in Wales in March 2020 under the Public Health (Minimum Unit Price for Alcohol) (Wales) Act 2018. The legislation included a sunset clause, meaning the policy would have ended on 1 March 2026 unless the Senedd voted to extend it.