Securing the future of Scotland’s life-saving alcohol pricing policy using linked data
Linked health data revealed the impact of minimum alcohol pricing, helping strengthen one of Scotland’s key public health policies.
Research using linked administrative data has provided robust evidence that Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) is reducing alcohol-related deaths and hospital admissions in Scotland.
This directly informed the Scottish Parliament's decision to continue and strengthen the policy; a life-saving decision for the Scottish public.
The challenge
Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) for alcohol was introduced in Scotland in May 2018 as a population-level intervention to reduce alcohol-related harm. The policy set a minimum price of £0.50 per unit of alcohol, aimed at reducing consumption of cheap, high-strength products associated with harmful drinking.
The Scottish Government commissioned Public Health Scotland (PHS) to lead a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of MUP. The evaluation was conducted independently by PHS in collaboration with academic partners, with a clear need to establish whether the policy was achieving its intended effects on health outcomes.
What the research found
The evaluation synthesis report, published in 2023, looked at over 40 studies, one of which examined the impact of MUP on alcohol-attributable deaths and hospital admissions. This study analysed data from 2012 to 2020, and compared Scotland data, where the minimum unit pricing change had been in place with England, where it had not.
The research concluded that the MUP policy was contributing to reduced alcohol harm and health inequalities. The following statistics are extrapolated from the first 32 months of Minimum Unit Pricing (1 May 2018 to 31 December 2020):
- an estimated 13.4% reduction in alcohol-attributable deaths compared to if MUP was not in place,
- an estimated 156 deaths averted annually,
- an estimated 411 admissions averted annually, and
- the greatest impacts were seen in the most deprived communities, especially among men.
The impact on policy and practice
The evaluation informed Scottish Government reporting under the Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) (Scotland) Act 2012, supporting Parliamentary scrutiny and debate. It formed a key part of the evidence base underpinning the Scottish Parliament's decision to continue Minimum Unit Pricing beyond April 2024.
The evaluation's findings also contributed to 2024 impact assessments and the broader evidence base considered alongside new Sheffield modelling of alternative MUP levels, which helped inform the decision to increase the minimum price from 50p to 65p per unit.
The research received extensive media coverage and was highlighted in public health communications.
Maree Todd, Minister for Public Health, Women's Health and Sport (20 May 2021 to 29 March 2023), said:
"I am very pleased with these findings which point to more than 150 lives a year being saved and 411 fewer hospital admissions, further underlining the value of our world-leading minimum unit pricing policy which has helped reduce alcohol sales to their lowest on record. We're determined to do all we can to reduce alcohol-related harm, which is one of the most pressing public health challenges that we face in Scotland."
The evaluation demonstrates how ADR-enabled data linkage can support evidence-based policymaking and deliver measurable improvements in public health outcomes. The research also highlights the benefits of cross-nation data access in supporting robust comparative analysis.
Background information and further reading
Research outputs
The evaluation synthesis report was published by Public Health Scotland in 2023, drawing together findings from over 40 studies into the impact of Minimum Unit Pricing. Within this, the study examining alcohol-attributable deaths and hospital admissions used data covering the period 2012 to 2020.
Data used
The research drew on linked administrative data, including mortality records and hospital admissions data, to compare outcomes in Scotland and England.
Scottish data was accessed through the Scottish National Safe Haven, made possible by ADR Scotland. English data was accessed via the Office for National Statistics Secure Research Service, supported through ADR UK funding. Together, this cross-nation access enabled a robust comparative analysis between the intervention country and the control country.
Methods used
The study used a controlled interrupted time series design, comparing trends in Scotland, where MUP was introduced, against England, which acted as a control where no equivalent policy was in place. This approach allowed researchers to estimate the effect of MUP on alcohol-attributable deaths and hospital admissions over the first 32 months of the policy, from 1 May 2018 to 31 December 2020.
