Could the cheapest alcohol prices in Wales be about to rise?
Could the cheapest alcohol prices in Wales be about to rise?
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The Welsh Government has launched a public consultation on plans to raise the Minimum Unit Price (MUP) for alcohol from 50p to 65p, in a renewed effort to tackle alcohol-related harm and support healthier lifestyles across Wales.
The policy, originally introduced in March 2020, is designed to target the cheapest, strongest alcoholic drinks most commonly consumed by hazardous and harmful drinkers. It sets a floor price per unit of alcohol, preventing retailers from selling strong alcohol at rock-bottom prices.
According to modelling cited by the government, increasing the MUP to 65p per unit could significantly reduce the number of harmful drinkers by nearly 5,000 and cut hazardous drinkers by more than 6,300. The move is also expected to reduce hospital admissions and deaths linked to alcohol misuse.
“Since we brought minimum unit pricing into place there has been a pandemic, a cost-of-living crisis and high inflation,” said Sarah Murphy, Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
“Despite all of these, research through independent evaluations has shown the policy, which is not a tax, has had a positive impact and has helped reduce levels of harmful drinking.”
Murphy said the current 50p unit price has lost its effectiveness due to inflation. In real terms, it now equates to just 39p at 2020 prices, reducing its ability to influence the cost of the cheapest, high-strength alcohol products.
“We’re consulting on raising the level as high inflation has made the 50p rate ineffective and reduced its value in real terms to 39p in 2020 prices. Due to this it is no longer significantly influencing the price of the cheapest alcohol and we need to review it.”
The consultation will also consider whether MUP should be maintained beyond March 2026, when current legislation is set to expire. It forms part of a wider package of health policies focused on prevention, treatment and reducing availability in the substance misuse sector.
The Welsh Government emphasised that minimum pricing is not intended to work in isolation, but to complement broader strategies aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm, including cancer, liver and heart disease, and mental health issues linked to heavy drinking.
The public consultation is now open and will run until 29 September 2025.
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