Under a headline – Minimum alcohol pricing impact on drinks sector ‘minimal’ – careful to avoid praising the SNP Government, we read:
Minimum unit pricing (MUP) has had little economic impact on Scotland’s drinks industry, a report has found.
MUP, which placed a minimum charge of 50p on each unit of alcohol, has been in force since 2018 following a protracted legal battle.
Concerns were raised ahead of its enforcement about its impact on the alcoholic drinks industry,
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-64457024
‘Concerns?’
The Scotch whisky industry has attacked proposals to implement a 50p minimum price for alcohol in Scotland as a “blunt instrument” that breaches EU law.
Aidan O’Neill QC, acting for the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), told the supreme court in London far more effort should be put into tackling the poverty that played a significant part in the high number of alcohol-related deaths in Scotland.
Backed by the drinks body spiritsEUROPE and the European wine group CEEV, the SWA had taken the Scottish government to the supreme court to challenge plans to set a minimum unit price for all alcoholic drinks in Scotland of 50p per unit, a measure ministers and doctors say will help cut abuse and addiction.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jul/24/scotch-whisky-industry-attacks-minimum-price-plans-as-blunt-instrument
There’s another headline to escape the attention of BBC Scotland – ‘Whisky Association proved wrong on minimum pricing.’
The Scottish Tories were initially opposed, then backed off, but kept sniping with stuff like this from Sandesh Gulhane in 2020:
A public health expert has rubbished a Tory MSP’s claim that minimum alcohol pricing isn’t working in Scotland.
In May 2018, Scotland became the first country in the world to set a base price for each unit of alcohol sold – driving up the price of cheaper booze.
Dr Sandesh Gulhane, Tory MSP for Glasgow region, claimed during a meeting of the health committee in Holyrood that the scheme was failing and that the most vulnerable were cutting back on food to afford the high prices.
However, Professor Petra Meier told MSPs that she didn’t agree with his assessment of the policy and said it was one of the “stronger policies” the Scottish Government has come up with without full control of tax powers and alcohol duties.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/20225060.public-health-expert-rubbishes-tory-msps-minimum-alcohol-pricing-claim/
Talking-up Scotland 
Dr Gulhane’s comments regarding the ‘most vulnerable’ is a variation of the long standing Tory and BBC Scotland trope of poor, or unemployed people or those in receipt of benefits as ‘feckless’, ‘irresponsible’, ‘scroungers’, ‘workshy’, etc. They always choose the worst option.
As they sink another gin and tonic at the golf club or have another glass on Montrachet at a dinner party with John Beattie, Dr Gulhane’s fans will all be nodding in agreement.
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Massive increase in non alcohol production. Expanding industry.
Lower alcohol consumption less pressure on the SNHS.
Alcohol related illness and depression. Excess alcohol consumption causing depression. Alcohol poisons the body. Addiction caused early death. Less crime.
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Tory regime in London aided by their pals Labour, keeping the poor poor, denying workers decent wages, forcing people into poverty, thousands of foodbanks, massive energy bills that are just unaffordable, Brexit, isolated little Britain, economic basket case, no Covid recovery in basket case Ukok, homelessness, removal of public services and social security for those who need it, an English government cabal with their hands in the till, all while taking the absolute rip out of the people, that’s causing the depression in people. I could go on, but I’ll just add that the Ukok feels very much as if it’s on a downward spiral of sleeze and corruption with a type of mafia at the helm, an oppressive undemocratic backward backwater. It’s very depressing, and as Scotland and the people of Scotland are being dragged down with the Ukok sinking ship, it’s a terrifying outlook, unless Scotland can extricate itself in the very near future.
Nicola Sturgeon knows this, everyone not being brainwashed by the BBC etc knows it too. To continue being dictated to by the dodgy corrupt country next door is madness, to continue on the toxic Ukok path will destroy Scotland.
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Labour was opposed to MUP and the smoking ban
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