Scotland’s minimum alcohol pricing policy has not encouraged problem drinkers to consume less but has prompted some to cut back on food or heating in order to afford rising costs, according to the first evaluation of its impact on those who drink alcohol at harmful levels.
The Scottish National party’s flagship policy, championed by Nicola Sturgeon when she was health minister and introduced after successive court challenges by the Scotch Whisky Association, came into force in May 2018. It introduced a legally enforced minimum price for all alcoholic drinks of 50p a unit and aimed to tackle chronic alcohol abuse by targeting low-cost, high-strength drinks.
But the latest evaluation of minimum unit pricing (MUP), published on Tuesday by Public Health Scotland, found those who suffer the worst affects of alcoholism did not change their habits after the policy was introduced, with the poorest among them experiencing “increased financial strain” as price rises meant they were spending more on drink, causing them to cut back on other expenditure such as food and utility bills. » | Libby Brooks, Scotland correspondent | Tuesday, June 7, 2022
Surprise! Surprise! These politicians don’t have a bloody clue! They keep on distorting the market by introducing stupid, useless laws, the consequences of which should be clear and easy for an intelligent person to anticipate.
Many politicians need to study Economics 101! Most seem to be law graduates; they know not a thing about economics! When I studied economics back in the day, one of the first things I remember learning was that political interference in prices of goods in the marketplace lead to market distortions, which often leads to undesirable and unintended consequences. This problem in Scotland is one such example. With the price of cigarettes and other tobacco products sky high in this country, I feel absolutely certain that a similar story could also be told about those products.
Many politicians these days extol the virtues of the free market, yet they don’t allow the free market to determine prices. Go figure! Instead, they slap high taxes on goods they deem undesirable, hoping to change people’s behaviour and habits. They always fail. And always will. And when they don’t fail totally, they cause those people to take up other habits, many of which are worse than the original habit they were hoping to stamp out.
If politicians really want to change people’s habits, taxing products to the hilt is not the way to do it. Education and infomercials are a far better way forward. The results might not be as fast, but they will be longer-lasting. Furthermore, people won’t get the feeling that their rights are being trampled upon.
And there’s something else politicians need to learn: Utopia will never be achieved anyway. And in any case, regardless of class and means, everyone needs to be able to get some enjoyment in life, even if the source of that enjoyment might at times be deemed unhealthy. For God’s sake, stop the social engineering! – © Mark Alexander
