title: The price of a drink: the potential of alcohol minimum unit pricing as a public health measure in the UK.
abstract: The UK has seen a dramatic increase in alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm over the past 30 years. Alcohol taxation has long been considered a key method of controlling alcohol-related harm but a combination of factors has recently led to consideration of methods which affect the price of the cheapest alcohol as a means of improved targeting of alcohol control measures to curb the consumption of the heaviest drinkers. Although much of the evidence in favour of setting a minimum price of a unit of alcohol is based on complex econometric models rather than empirical data, all jurisdictions within the UK now intend to make selling alcohol below a set price illegal, which will provide a naturalistic experiment allowing assessment of the impact of minimum pricing.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rice
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Drummond
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000191:economics* / Q000517:prevention & control; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000191:economics*; D003132:Commerce / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D019649:Food Industry; D019981:Health Care Sector; D006291:Health Policy / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D013660:Taxes / Q000191:economics; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology