..has done little to cut drink-related harm. The free-market think tank, the Institute of Economic Affairs, said alcohol consumption had fallen slightly since minimum pricing was introduced in Scotland in 2018 but claimed there was no evidence that people’s health was improving.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001732t/reporting-scotland-evening-news-01052022
The IEA is at least identified as ‘free-market’ but, typically, Reporting Scotland forget to offer the readily available evidence to counter the claims of a group funded by the tobacco industry and in favour of abolishing the NHS.
Here’s what the Lancet had to say in May 2021:
The evidence base supporting the positive, targeted impact of MUP is strengthened by the comparable results for Scotland and Wales. The short-term impact of MUP in Scotland during 2018 is maintained during the first half of 2020. MUP is an effective alcohol policy option to reduce off-trade purchases of alcohol and should be widely considered.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-26672100052-9/fulltext
In January 2022, a health expert said the Covid-19 pandemic significantly lessened the impact of minimum unit pricing regulations targeting alcohol abuse:
“We had a year of minimum unit pricing before the lockdowns came along, but the pandemic changed drinking patterns so much.”
Dr Peter Rice, an addiction psychiatrist and former chairman of Scottish health action on alcohol problems: https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/how-scotland-experienced-spike-in-drink-related-deaths-despite-minimum-pricing-rules-41219755.html
Other sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institute_of_Economic_Affairs#cite_note-ash-14
Talking-up Scotland 
Welcome back John.
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Tentatively
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Aye, but we still like you. 🙂
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Yes, read that one already and thought exactly the same thing. Two aspects to be questioned
One, it’s the Express that are running this story
Two, I wonder who paid for the research at a wholly exceptional time.
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Glad to have you back even if tentatively!
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Good to see you back in the cockpit, John. Welcome home.
Right-wing think tanks? Propaganda for neo-cons, I think.
Broadly evidence based? Nope.
Socially progressive? Nope.
Biased or Bigoted? Both.
Sadly, the “Scottish” media lack the proper journalistic tools (ask a question; any question) to elicit enough information to make a considered judgement.
Even if they had the will power to confront these propagandists.
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I went to this site today just to see if there was any more comments under ‘Done’ This was a great surprise. Thanks very much for coming back. We really need this site. So many things have been deflating recently – this is a great positive.
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