Scotland Sets Minimum Price For Alcohol

Looks like Brits won't be the only ones facing higher liquor prices. Now, Scotland is mulling the same regulation to raise the minimum price of alcohol, to be voted on next week in Parliament.

Under the new ruling, alcohol would cost 50 pence, or about $0.81 U.S., per unit. Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said in a news release that the new ruling would curb a deadly, and expensive, drinking habit. She said, "Cheap alcohol comes at a price and now is the time to tackle the toll that Scotland's unhealthy relationship with alcohol is taking on our society... As affordability has increased, alcohol-related hospital admissions have quadrupled, and it is shocking that half of our prisoners now say they were drunk when they committed the offence. It's time for this to stop."

A study done by the University of Sheffield found that the propsed ruling would dramatically reduce alcohol-related deaths and hospital admissions. Not only that, but it would cut down 3,500 crimes — in total, a "value of harm reduction at about £64 million."

The U.K. is also considering a similar ruling that would raise the minimum price for alcohol to 40 pence. However, opponents to both rulings argue that it hurts the lower classes.