Scottish university to research effect of minimum pricing

Published: 29 November, 2011

A Scottish university is to research whether heavy drinkers will change their habits if minimum pricing is introduced.

A Scottish university is to research whether heavy drinkers will change their habits if minimum pricing is introduced.

Queen Margaret University has been awarded a research grant by the Chief Scientist Office and Alcohol Research UK, and will study patients with alcohol-related illnesses who tend to buy cheaper booze than other drinkers. The research will be carried out over a three-year period in Edinburgh and Glasgow and will focus on around 500 severe drinkers.

The Scottish Government's Alcohol Bill, which includes the minimum pricing proposal, will mostly affect cheap white ciders and low-grade spirits with high alcohol content favoured by problem drinkers.

The study will be conducted by QMU's Professor Jonathan Chick and Dr Jan Gill of the School of Health Sciences at Queen Margaret University. Chick said: "Pricing measures can reduce health harms from alcohol in two ways: by reducing the number s newly recruited into heavy drinking, and by helping to moderate the drinking patterns of already established heavy drinkers.

"Our research will look at the factors which influence the habits of severe drinkers before and after the introduction of minimum unit pricing. In our pilot study, we established that this group particularly consume cheap ciders and vodka, which might be particularly damaging for brain and liver cells. We will also look at whether they turn to sourcing drink from outside Scotland or begin to consume illicit or substitute alcohols or other intoxicants."

Cabinet Secretary for Health, Nicola Sturgeon said: "We are pleased to be able to support this important piece of independent research, which will provide valuable information on the impact of our proposed legislation."

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