The Scottish government plans to introduce a minimum price on alcohol, a ban on loss-leaders and cut-price promotions.
The tough action is part of a wide-range of measures ministers want to tackle alcohol-fuelled violence and health-related problems.
On the minimum price proposal, the government document – Changing Scotlands Relationship with Alcohol: A Framework for Action – notes: “Since the publication of our consultation paper, retailers have continued to heavily promote alcohol products on price alone.
Announcing the measures Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said the scale of Scotland’s alcohol misuse was “shocking”, which includes “42,500 alcohol-related hospital discharges; 1,500 deaths per year; soaring rates of liver cirrhosis; the eighth highest alcohol consumption in the world and a £2.25 billion annual cost in extra services and lost productivity”.
A plan to force pubs and supermarkets to pay a ‘Social Responsibility Fee’ is also included – similar to the much maligned alcohol disorder zones in England.