Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at on 18 January 2024.
Public Health Scotland’s evaluation of minimum unit pricing shows that it has had a very positive impact on health outcomes during the study period. It is estimated to have cut alcohol consumption and alcohol-attributable deaths, and it is likely to have reduced hospital admissions. Public Health Scotland estimates that about half of liver cancers in the UK are preventable, and that is why we continue to take action on the most prevalent factors, particularly alcohol consumption. Prevention of cancers takes longer to realise, but we hope that MUP impacts will be seen in the future for liver cancers. Our cancer strategy places a focus on less survivable cancers, including liver cancer.
