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Thursday, October 28, 2010

Monday, October 25, 2010

Alcohol News - 43/2010

The Wall Street Journal Blog (EU) - EU Mulls Booze Warning Labels
Brussels is a battlefield of rule-making; there are always a thousand small skirmishes taking place off-camera, many with an impact on your future and the bottom lines of big companies.
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The Forigner (Norway) - Norway’s ‘no-no’ to alcohol ads could be corked
TV channels transmitting from abroad with content aimed at Norwegian viewers are not permitted to advertise alcohol under current Norwegian legislation, but this could contravene European law.
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Helsinkin Sanomat (Finland) - Working group proposes new alcohol restrictions for Helsinki
A working group of the City of Helsinki is proposing radical measures to curtail what it sees as an “alcohol-friendly culture” that permeates in the city. The task force wants to ban alcohol advertising in advertising space that is owned by the city. It also proposes that the city stop serving alcoholic beverages at city events, and take stronger action against drinking among young people.
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New York Times (Iraq) - Drug and Alcohol Abuse Growing in Iraqi Forces
A growing number of Iraqi security force members are becoming dependent on drugs or alcohol, which has led to concerns about a significant addiction problem among the country’s armed services as the insurgency remains a potent force and American troops prepare to depart at the end of next year.
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Morning Advertiser (UK) - Underage drinking costs NHS £19m a year
Underage drinking, fuelled by the "ludicrously cheap price of alcohol" in supermarkets, is costing the National Health Service £19m a year.
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New Zealand Herald (New Zealand) - Cut drink-drive limit: doctor
The Government believes New Zealand drivers aren't ready to moderate their drinking. We know they are. So take responsibility for keeping our roads safe by signing up: Two Drinks Max.
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MSN India - Smart people drink more alcohol, says new study
In the National Child Development Study in the UK and the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health in the US, childhood intelligence was measured before the age of 16.
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ABC Online (Australia) - NSW wants to ban energy drinks on tap
The New South Wales Government says it plans to ban the sale of energy drinks on tap at clubs and pubs.
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Ivanhoe - Heavy Alcohol Use May Cause Change In Teen Cognitive Development
Alcohol, to an adolescent, is usually seen as a rite of passage. Many teenagers view drinking as a gateway into adulthood, or independence.
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Businessweek - Study Confirms It: Booze Impairs Decision-Making
A new study confirms what many people may know first- or secondhand: Too much alcohol slows reaction time and increases errors during decision-making.
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USA Today - Alcohol and caffeine drinks: The next student health problem?
Three beers, a can of Red Bull and a large espresso: no big deal, many college students might say. Three beers, a can of Red Bull and a large espresso times three or four, and they still might tell you they're not intoxicated.
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Medscape - Variants in Region of Ethanol Metabolism Gene Predict Alcoholism Risk
A search for genetic factors that influence individuals' early experience with ethanol has found variants in or near CYP2E1 associated with stronger responses and inebriation after relatively low alcohol intake.
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Arka News Agency (Armenia) - Minister: Armenia conducts serious negotiations with WTO on taxation of alcohol drinks and tobacco
Armenia conducts serious negotiations with WTO on taxation of alcohol drinks and cigarettes, said Armenian Minister of Economy Nerses Yeritzyan during the parliamentary discussions of state budget 2011.
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Crikey (Australia) - Universities: a marketing arm of the alcohol industry?
Public health efforts to reduce the harm caused by risky alcohol consumption should be paying much more attention to university campuses, says public health policy consultant Margo Saunders.
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The Guardian (UK) - Charity calls for ban on alcohol ads on pre-watershed TV and online
Alcohol Concern has called for a ban on TV and internet alcohol ads after conducting research claiming that well over a million under-16-year-olds saw multiple drinks commercials while watching England games during the World Cup.
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FairWarning (USA) - Looser About Drinking and Driving, U.S. Suffers More Alcohol-Related Deaths
Compared to most other countries, the U.S. has a lax standard for determining whether someone behind the wheel is driving drunk. The U.S. is one of only 16 nations with a limit for blood alcohol content of .08.
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Monday, October 18, 2010

Alcohol News - 42/2010

Icenews (Iceland) - Reykjavik bars to be forced to close earlier
A majority of Reykjavik’s city council has voted to shorten the licensing hours of city centre premises selling alcohol at weekends. The bars with the latest closing times will be made to shut an hour earlier.
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YLE News (Finland) - Police Chief Calls for Compulsory Breathalyzer Ignition Locks
Finland’s Police Commissioner, Mikko Paatero, has called for the compulsory installation of breathalyzer ignition locks and speed limit devices in all cars. In Paatero’s opinion the maximum permitted amount of alcohol in the blood while driving should be reduced to a level of 0.2 parts per one hundred milliliters.
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BioMedCentral - The sociodemographic patterning of drinking and binge drinking in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland, 1994–2002
Our results support the continued power of traditional drinking habits in the North Eastern part of Europe. In the future the target groups for prevention of excessive drinking should also include young and less-educated women in all four countries studied.
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Essays.se (Sweden) - Alcohol Advertising in Sweden, UK and EU - a comparative study
The reason why the rules on the area of alcohol advertising differ so much is because Sweden and the UK have two completely different alcohol policies, which reflects on all other aspects of the handling of alcoholic beverages in the society.
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Sky News (UK) - Warning Over Booze Cheaper Than Chocolate
Health groups have called for the Government to act to tackle the "plague" of illness caused by cheap alcohol.
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The Guardian (UK) - Parents' drinking is damaging millions of children, say charities
Heavy drinking by parents is doing so much damage to children that a national inquiry into the scale of the problem is needed, two influential charities demand today.
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TheMedGuru (India) - Alcohol consumption rises sharply among Indian teens—survey
The abuse of alcohol use among teenagers in India is escalating at what analysts say, is an alarming rate.
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Dallas Morning News (USA) - Teen drinking lawsuit may publicize Texas' host law
provide alcohol to anyone under 21 except your own children. But many are unaware that under a law passed with little fanfare in 2005, they may be liable for damages caused by intoxication after knowingly allowing a minor under 18 to be served alcohol.
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EurekAlert - Why are men more susceptible to alcoholism?
Alcohol is one of the most commonly abused substances, and men are up to twice as likely to develop alcoholism as women. Until now, the underlying biology contributing to this difference in vulnerability has remained unclear.
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Stuff.co.nz (New Zealand) - Supermarkets 'driving alcohol affordability'
Supermakets should be forced to supply their alcohol pricing data to the Government to prove they are not using it as a loss-leader, alcohol research groups say.
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GhanaWeb (Ghana) - Navrongo Traditional Council bans alcohol consumption during funerals
The Navrongo Traditional Council in the Kassena-Nankana East District of the Upper East Region, has taken measures to stop the consumption of alcoholic beverages during funerals.
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Medical News Today - Breast Cancer Risk Significantly Lower With Exercise, Body Weight Control And Drinking Less Alcohol
Regardless of whether or not you have a family history of breast cancer, your risk of developing the disease can be reduced considerably if you do exercise regularly, keep your body weight as near as possible to the ideal for your height and age, and consume less alcohol, say researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center, New York, USA, who carried out a study involving over 85,000 postmenopausal women.
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The Zimbabwe Standard (Zimbabwe) - Fierce opposition to planned booze ban
IMBIBERS and traders have roundly criticised government’s proposed regulations that will bar outlets from selling beer after 7pm on week days.
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TIME - 4 Reasons Binge Drinking Is a Public Health Problem
One out of 3 adults and 2 out of 3 high school students who drink alcohol binge drink, according to recent government surveys. Startlingly, the data suggest that 90% of the alcohol consumed by high-school kids and more than half the alcohol consumed by adults is downed during the course of binge drinking.
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TopNews United States (USA) - Justice System to Discuss the Issue of FASD among Prisoners
To discuss the problem of offenders affected with fetal alcohol syndrome and justice system’s approach towards it, a meeting will be held between Justice Minister Rob Nicholson and his provincial counterparts this week.
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Irish Times (Ireland) - Is alcohol too cheap?
WHILE THE PRICE of everything else was rising at sometimes frightening speeds during the boom years, the cost of alcohol, one thing that might be considered fairly integral to Irish society was falling dramatically.
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Monday, October 11, 2010

Alcohol News - 41/2010

The Foreigner (Norway) – Alcohol taxes will raise by 5%
The Government expects to earn less next year from inheritance tax, gift tax, and road use tax for petrol-driven cars. Revenue from most other taxes, excluding customs duties, is expected to rise. Tax levels for alcohol, snuff, and tobacco products will also be increased by 5 and 10 percent, respectively.
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jp.dk (Denmark) - Old (alcohol) habits die hard
School initiatives banning alcohol for minors gets cold reception Two secondary schools in Jutland have decided to forbid alcohol for their student at any festivities held on school grounds. The ban came just two days after the Health Ministry earlier this week made the recommendation in its annual report, which was sent out to the nation’s secondary schools along with accompanying brochures aimed at curbing teen drinking.
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The Local (Sweden) - New government faces ambitious autumn
The Ministry of Industry is set to present a motion to introduce alcohol ignition locks for convicted drunk drivers which should be completed on October 26th.
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Views and News (Norway) - Norwegian youth lax with condoms
Norwegian teenagers scored the worst in a new survey on condom use among young Europeans, and they seem to blame their lack of responsibility on alcohol.
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YLE News (Finland) - Alcohol Causes Finns to Pack on Pounds
Alcohol consumption is a main factor in Finnish weight gain. Fat gained from alcoholic beverages tends to gather around the waistline.
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Internal Medicine News Digital Network - Teen Drunkenness on Rise in Eastern Europe, Falling in West
Teens in Eastern Europe became more prone to drunkenness in the late 1990s, while excessive alcohol consumption among Western adolescents declined, and the gap between boys’ and girls’ drinking habits narrowed significantly, Swiss investigators report.
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Sify – Study: abroad students increase alcohol consumption
New research from University of Washington has revealed that studying abroad is more like a prolonged spring break for some students - it can be months with fewer academic responsibilities, plentiful bars and alcohol, and parents far away.
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The Press Association (UK) - Ban on happy hours draws closer
A ban on happy hours and all-you-can-drink promotions in Northern Ireland has moved a step closer as proposed laws went to public consultation.
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Psychology Today - Why Intelligent People Drink More Alcohol
Drinking alcohol is evolutionarily novel, so the Hypothesis would predict that more intelligent people drink more alcohol than less intelligent people.
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International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics - 'No alcohol means no risk' for pregnant women
Pregnant women who drink a lot during their gestation could harm the "development of the[ir] baby [which] can lead to brain damage and behavioural problems", it has been suggested.
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Behavioral Health Central (USA) - 1 in 4 High School Students and Young Adults Report Binge Drinking
More than 1 in 4 high school students and adults ages 18 to 34 engaged in a dangerous behavior known as binge drinking during the past month, according to the findings from a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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The Zimbabwe Standard (Zimbabwe) - Govt to ban beer sales after 7 PM
THE government is set to come up with a raft of regulations that will see supermarkets, shops and bottle stores only being allowed to sell alcoholic drinks between 6am and 7pm, while the selling of beer will be banned after midday on Sundays.
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Medical News Today - Breast Cancer Groups Critical Of Donations From Alcohol Companies
Breast cancer fundraising campaigns by alcohol companies are drawing criticism from some breast cancer advocacy groups and survivors, who argue that it is inappropriate to use a product that can increase the risk of developing breast cancer to raise money for research, USA Today reports.
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Scotsman (Scotland) - Drinkers to get message on a bottle
Alcohol safety messages are to appear on the necks of bottles sold from off-licences in a bid to promote safe drinking. West Lothian's Community Safety Unit is encouraging off-licence premises to place the messages round the necks of bottles that they sell.
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Chemist+Druggist - Pharmacists should advise pregnant women to avoid alcohol, despite latest research
Pharmacists should continue to advise pregnant women to abstain from drinking alcohol, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has advised.
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BBC News (Wales) - Chief medic wants alcohol licensing powers for Wales
Wales' chief medical officer has called for powers to be able to introduce tougher controls on alcohol to tackle "the binge drinking culture".
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The Guardian (UK) - Parents adopting more open attitude to alcohol, drugs and sex
British parents are increasingly relaxed about their children drinking alcohol from as young as 10 years old, taking drugs and having sex, according to research released today.
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Dentistry.co.uk - Binge-drinking smokers run risk of oral cancers
Young adults who smoke, drink and eat low levels of fruit and vegetables are at higher risk of contracting cancers of the mouth, oesophagus and larynx.
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Herald Scotland (Scotland) - Supermarkets should pay share of alcohol responsibility levy
Clearly individuals ought to drink in a fashion that does not harm others or themselves and, de facto, taxpayers pick up the tab for the costs to the police and the NHS. Yet responsibility also rests with those who sell alcohol.
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Scoop.co.nz (New Zealand) - Risky student drinking, adverse sexual experiences
New Zealand university students who drink heavily report considerably more unsafe sex, unhappy sexual experiences and unwanted advances than their lightly drinking peers, according to a new survey of students at five universities.
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Prague Daily Monitor (Czech Republic) - MfD: Young Czechs lead in alcohol consumption
Alcohol consumption of underage Czechs is the highest in Europe, according to both European studies, and this is why the government is to approve a new action plan of the fight against alcohol and drugs, the daily Mlada fronta Dnes (MfD) writes yesterday.
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Inside Facebook - Facebook Implements Additional Alcohol Advertisement Guidelines
Facebook updated its advertisement policy guidelines with significant new restrictions to ads for or depicting alcohol last month. All alcohol ads must be targeted by country, cannot target any users in a set of predominantly Middle Eastern countries, and can’t include creative that misleads users to think alcohol is healthy, suitable for minors, or a contributor to success.
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BCM (Russia) - As of 2011, Russia to have price floor on brandy
The following year, brandy and cognac await the fate of vodka - these alcoholic beverages will also have a price floor. As of 2011, the cheapest half-liter bottle of brandy is going to cost 190-210 rubles ($6.3-7), to say nothing of the taste or quality of this beverage.
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Monday, October 4, 2010

Alcohol News - 40/2010

The foreigner (Norway) - Holiday children suffer from drunk parents
The number of Norwegian children suffering on holidays to sunny southern Europe because of drunken parents is on the increase. A third of adults say they drink more than three units of alcohol a day.
http://theforeigner.no/pages/news/holiday-children-suffer-from-drunk-parents/

The Economic Times (Finland) - Finland all out to ban smoking
Finland will push tobacco sales under the counter in shops as a new law comes into effect in stages, starting Friday. The Nordic nation, one of the first to ban tobacco adverts, is the first to target an end to smoking through legal means.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international-business/Finland-all-out-to-ban-smoking/articleshow/6668905.cms

Helsinkin Sanomat (Finland) - Prime Minister supports curbs on alcohol advertising
Prime Minister Mari Kiviniemi (Centre) is calling for restrictions on the advertising of alcoholic beverages. Kiviniemi has come out in favour of an initiative signed by more than half of Finland’s 200 Members of Parliament calling for legislation that would limit alcohol advertising to the dissemination of product information; appeals to the emotions would be banned.
http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Prime+Minister+supports+curbs+on+alcohol+advertising+/1135260471108

YLE News (Finland) - Finns Bring Home Less Booze and Tobacco
Finns travelling abroad are bringing both less alcohol and tobacco home with them. A survey by the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) shows that between January and August of this year, personal imports of alcoholic drink were down by 6% and of tobacco product by 20% from the same period of 2009.
http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/news/2010/09/finns_bring_home_less_booze_and_tobacco_2018629.html

Helium - Factors that influence people to drink alcohol
There are many factors that influence people to drink alcohol. Drinking to be sociable is one influence. This seems to be one reason people will give in reaction to the question - Why do you drink?
http://www.helium.com/items/1972450-factors-that-influence-people-to-drink-alcohol

Daily News & Analysis - ‘25% of liver failures occur due to alcohol consumption’
"Nearly 1,200 liver transplants are needed every year in Gujarat. Nearly two lakh people die of terminal liver disease and cancer every year in India, out of which, some 25,000 can be saved through transplants," said Dr AS Soin, addressing a gathering in the city on Sunday.
http://www.dnaindia.com/health/report_25pct-of-liver-failures-occur-due-to-alcohol-consumption_1447313

BusinessWeek (USA) - Pediatricians Want to Restrict Ads for Tobacco, Booze, Viagra
The American Academy of Pediatrics doesn't want children exposed to tobacco ads at all, and wants to limit their exposure to alcohol marketing and advertisements for erectile dysfunction drugs and other prescription medications.
http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/643556.html

UPI.com (USA) - Americans are drinking more alcohol
Caucasians, Hispanics and African-Americans all report drinking more during the period of 1992 to 2002, U.S. researchers say.
http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2010/10/01/Americans-are-drinking-more-alcohol/UPI-21171285910438/

msnbc.com (USA) - Booze tax could make us all healthier
Increasing the tax on alcohol could have a slew of public health benefits, according to a new study. Boosting the price of booze could decrease the incidence of alcohol-related deaths and car crashes, reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and lower violence and crime, the researchers say.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39342283/ns/health-addictions/

Herald Scotland (Scotland) - Plan to ban off-licences selling alcohol to under-21s is defeated
Plans to allow councils to ban off-licences from selling to under-21s in areas where drunk youngsters cause trouble have been defeated at Holyrood.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/politics/plan-to-ban-off-licences-selling-alcohol-to-under-21s-is-defeated-1.1058271

SOS Children (Namibia) - President’s shock at Namibia’s levels of drink and drug abuse
Namibia’s president has called for urgent action on drink and drug abuse, saying he is “disturbed” by the country’s rate of alcohol and drug abuse.
http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/charity-news/president2019s-shock-at-namibia2019s-levels-of-drink-and-drug-abuse

New Zealand Herald (New Zealand) - TVNZ to stop alcohol adverts during family movies
Family First is welcoming a commitment from TVNZ to remove alcohol advertising during family movies.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10677343

Telegraph.co.uk (Scotland) - Minimum alcohol price would give £700m to businesses instead of Government
A "price-fixing" system has been suggested as a way to stop supermarkets selling alcohol at rock bottom prices, which has been criticised for encouraging binge drinking.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/8028583/Minimum-alcohol-price-would-give-700m-to-businesses-instead-of-Government.html

Washington Post (USA) - California group says Virginia ABC effort driven by alcohol industry
California-based Marin Institute, which describes itself as a watchdog of the alcohol industry, is out with a new report urging states that control the sale of liquor not to dismantle their spirits regulations.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/2010/09/california_group_says_virginia.html

Austrian Independent (Austria) - One in four students may be alcoholics, doctors warn
Around 25 per cent of university and college students could be alcoholics, according to a new study.
http://austrianindependent.com/news/General_News/2010-09-30/4746/One_in_four_students_may_be_alcoholics,_doctors_warn

Institute for Fiscal Studies (UK) – The impact of introducing a Minimum Price on Alcohol in Britain
On 2nd September 2010 the Scottish Health Secretary, Nicola Sturgeon, proposed a minimum price per unit of alcohol set at 45p.1 Minimum pricing was part of a wider Alcohol Bill in front of the Scottish Parliament2 and was the first time a figure had been set. However, minimum pricing was recently defeated at the committee stage and may not now be introduced, though the minority SNP Government still supports the measure.
http://www.ifs.org.uk/bns/bn109.pdf