MUP reduces alcohol consumption in Scotland

Published: 28 June 2018

A new Public Health Scotland evaluation in collaboration with the University of Glasgow, including HEHTA's Jim Lewsey and Public Health's Danny Mackay, showed alcohol sales fell in Scotland in the year following the introduction of minimum unit pricing

A new Public Health Scotland evaluation in collaboration with the University of Glasgow showed alcohol sales fell in Scotland in the year following the introduction of minimum unit pricing (MUP).

Photo of wine bottles

The study, titled ‘Evaluating the impact of minimum unit pricing (MUP) on sales-based alcohol consumption in Scotland: Controlled interrupted time series analyses’ looks at the impact of minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol that came into effect in Scotland in 2018.

The study concluded that MUP has been ‘effective in reducing population consumption levels in Scotland in the one-year period after it was implemented’.

Professor Jim Lewsey from Health Economics and Health Technology Assessment (HEHTA) and Professor Danny Mackay from Public Health were both involved in the study. 

Access the study report


First published: 28 June 2018