Price of alcohol influences drinking habits of heaviest drinkers

A new study suggests that minimum pricing of alcohol will reduce consumption amongst Scotland’s heaviest drinkers. The study which explored the drinking habits of patients referred to alcohol problems services in Edinburgh in 2008/09 found that:

• The lower the price a patient paid per unit of alcohol, the more units they consumed

• Most of the alcohol consumed was bought from off-licenced premises where the cheapest alcohol is sold. The average price paid per unit of alcohol was 34p which is much lower than the average paid per unit in Scotland as a whole

• Off-licensed purchases were made in roughly equal proportions from supermarkets and local/ independent shops

• 75% of patients reported never purchasing alcohol from on-licensed settings

• Vodka was reportedly the most popular drink, but it was noted that white cider provided a particularly cheap access to alcohol

• Patients in the study consumed on average 198 units of alcohol in a typical drinking week. The recommended weekly limit for men is 21 and 14 for women

Dr Jonathan Chick, coauthor of the study said:

“Information on drinking patterns usually comes from big population surveys. However, the heaviest drinkers in a population tend not to respond to surveys so this study provides important information on how price changes might affect those most affected by alcohol. Because the average unit price paid by these chronically ill patients was considerably lower than the rest of the Scottish population, it is likely that eliminating the cheapest alcohol sales by minimum pricing will result in reduced overall consumption by this group of drinkers with a fairly immediate reduction in serious alcohol-related illnesses in our community.”

A minimum price for a unit of alcohol of around 40 pence is mid-range of price levels suggested for discussion in the new Scottish strategy to tackle the substantial burden of harm due to alcohol use in Scotland. Alternative options to minimum pricing, such as a ban on the sale of alcohol below the cost of duty plus VAT payable on a product, have also been suggested.

Dr Bruce Ritson, Chair of Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems said:

“This emerging research makes an important contribution to the debate and adds to the evidence base on the likely health benefits of minimum pricing. Other alternatives that have been suggested are unlikely to deliver the same health benefits. If we had a ban on the sale of alcohol below the cost of duty and VAT instead of minimum pricing the price of white cider would remain unchanged and vodka could still be purchased for 26 pence per unit of alcohol. With six people dying an alcoholrelated death every day in Scotland, we need to adopt the policy that is going to be most effective in reducing harm and saving lives.”

Dr Jonathan Chick is a Scientific Advisor to the IAS