On 24 March, Northern Ireland’s Health Minister Mike Nesbitt told the Northern Ireland Assembly that he is disappointed to announce that minimum unit pricing (MUP) will not be brought forward in this mandate. He told members that:
It has not been possible to secure Executive agreement and we’ve now reached the point sadly where legislation for MUP is no longer deliverable in this mandate. This will have an impact on many vulnerable and at risk people in Northern Ireland.
Other Members criticised the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) for blocking the measure in the Executive. Members of the DUP spoke and questioned the evidence around MUP.
IAS’s Chief Executive Dr Katherine Severi said:
Another delay. Another year of preventable deaths. Northern Ireland is in the grip of a record alcohol death toll and was the only UK nation that saw an increase in alcohol deaths in 2024. The DUP’s continued resistance to MUP – despite the weight of evidence, despite the calls from health professionals, and despite historically supporting the principle – is costing lives. Politics should never be allowed to override good public health policy, and that is exactly what is happening here.
Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland have all acted. England has not. Northern Ireland has not. The communities bearing the heaviest burden of alcohol harm deserve better than to be a political bargaining chip. Minister Nesbitt has shown leadership – it is deeply frustrating that his own Executive colleagues are undermining it and preventing him from saving lives.
Deputy First Minister and DUP MLA Emma Little-Pengelly denied her party blocked the proposals:
The questions were put to the health minister to demonstrate that this intervention would actually work and would actually result in the outcomes that people want to see. Of course we want to reduce alcohol related deaths, this hits at a particular type of issue but the vast majority of alcohol for sale would not impacted by this measure, and alcohol deaths hit on every part of our society. Alcohol misuse is something that is a huge burden for the health service.
Many other parties spoke out against the DUP’s actions. Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan said it was “deeply disappointing that the DUP ignored scientific and medical evidence”. And SDLP health spokesperson Colin McGrath said it was unacceptable that “one party is able to weaponise its veto” in the Executive. “MUP is not a solution on its own, but it has been repeatedly shown to reduce alcohol-related harm and deaths – surely that is enough to support this policy and save lives?”
Irish News’ political correspondent John Manley wrote that the DUP appears to have:
gone out of its way to deliberately derail Health Minister Mike Nesbitt’s proposed legislation… Given its close association historically with Free Presbyterianism, there would have been an expectation that the DUP would support any measure that sought to curb the consumption of what its former leader would’ve described as ‘the devil’s buttermilk’.
He went on to write that former DUP health minister Jim Wells has said DUP opposition was a result of lobbying from the drinks industry.
Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, Chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said:
Today’s decision not to move forward with Minimum Unit Pricing in Northern Ireland is a deeply disappointing failure to act on a public health crisis.
The evidence is clear: Minimum Unit Pricing is one of the most effective and targeted measures available to reduce alcohol-related deaths, hospital admissions and health inequalities, with the greatest benefits felt among men and those living in the most disadvantaged communities.
Northern Ireland is facing its highest levels of alcohol harm on record, placing unacceptable burden on individuals, families, and public services. Choosing not to implement this policy means those harms will persist, with grave consequences, and hitting the most vulnerable groups in society the hardest.
We urge policymakers to reconsider this decision and to prioritise evidence-based measures that protect public health over political wins. Lives are being lost that could be saved with this proven, preventative policy.
The Alcohol Health Alliance remains committed to working with governments across the UK to reduce alcohol harm and improve health outcomes for all.