The Alcohol etc. (Scotland) Bill, currently under consideration by the Scottish Parliament, has included minimum pricing as one of the proposals for reducing alcohol related harms. An area of concern relating to this policy has been the possible regressive effects of such an intervention, i.e. if it results in raising alcohol prices only for households with lower incomes, or if it affects those with low incomes more than it affects those with higher incomes.
Purchasing Patterns for Low Price Off-Sales Alcohol – Evidence from the Expenditure and Food Survey
May 2010