NEW research on minimum pricing from Canada that’s said to show the positive effect the mechanism can have on health has been welcomed by one of its biggest trade supporters.
The study, carried in the province of Saskatchewan, found that minimum prices linked to alcohol content introduced in 2010 led to a “significant” fall in the consumption of cheap, high-strength alcohol.
Published in the American Journal of Public Health, it said a 10% increase in minimum prices reduced total consumption by 8%; and that a 10% increase in the minimum price of beer was linked to a 22% fall in consumption of higher strength beer compared to an 8% fall for weaker beers.
The findings were welcomed by the SLTA, which said it answered critics who point to a lack of evidence suggesting the policy can have a positive effect.
