New law proposed to ban cheap, strong alcohol in Wales
Plans to introduce a minimum price for alcohol have been unveiled in Wales to help crack down on excessive drinking.
The new law would aim to tackle harmful drinking by reducing access to cheap, strong alcohol. It would allow ministers to specify a minimum price per unit of alcohol, and give councils the power to enforce that limit.
It is estimated that excess alcohol consumption causes 463 deaths and costs the Welsh NHS £120m every year.
Public health minister Rebecca Evans said: ‘There is a very clear and direct link between levels of excessive drinking and the availability of cheap alcohol. So we need to take decisive action now to address the affordability of alcohol, as part of wider efforts to tackle alcohol related harm.
‘The Bill I am unveiling today will tackle excessive alcohol consumption by making it an offence for retailers to sell strong alcohol at low prices. It will make an important contribution to improving health outcomes, by putting prevention and early intervention at the heart of our efforts to reduce alcohol-related harm. This will undoubtedly help save lives.’
