As Prime Minister David Cameron pushes ahead with plans to introduce a ban on the sale of alcohol for less than 45p per unit, the European Commission is warning that this contravenes the laws of free movement of goods.
The European Commission has already issued a legal directive on the Scottish parliament’s Act that will set a minimum unit price of alcohol at 50p north of the border, and the Scottish government has until 27 December to respond to it.
According to the Commission, Scotland’s action is “disproportionate” to the country’s drink problems, even though the country has massive health and social problems associated with alcohol abuse.
Although the act in Scotland received Royal Assent in June, it is not yet in force due to the EC’s concerns and a legal challenge by the Scotch Whisky Association and wine-producing European Union nations such as France, Italy and Spain, who believe that the legislation breaches EU laws on free trade.
Prime Minister David Cameron will face the same problem in England and Wales if he goes ahead with the Government’s plan and the Home Office has recently issued a ten-week consultation on the proposal.
Following Scotland’s lead, the Prime Minister is convinced that imposing the ban would help to tackle the health and social problems associated with excessive drinking, with research carried out by Sheffield University for the government showing that a 45p minimum would reduce the consumption of alcohol by 4.3 per cent, leading to 2,000 fewer deaths and 66,000 hospital admissions after 10 years. While the number of crimes would drop by 24,000 a year as well, researchers suggested.
However, response to the proposals has been mixed, as it will mean a general rise in the price of alcohol, which moderate drinkers say is unfair, while one of the drinks most associated with binge drinking, alcopops, will hardly be affected by hike, as it costs more than that to buy them now.