The minimum price of a unit of alcohol in Wales has increased from 50p to 65p today (1 October), with the Welsh government saying the move could prevent more than 900 alcohol-related deaths over the next 20 years.
The increase means Wales now has the same 65p minimum unit price (MUP) as Scotland.
MUP is designed to reduce alcohol consumption among hazardous and harmful drinkers by setting a legal floor on the price at which alcohol can be sold. The Welsh government said the policy is aimed at tackling alcohol-related harm, including hospital admissions and deaths.
It said independent evaluations found that the effectiveness of the previous 50p minimum price had been reduced by inflation, with its real value falling to 39p in 2020 prices.
The government expects the increase to 65p to help nearly 5,000 people reduce harmful drinking in Wales over the next 20 years, as well as preventing more than 900 alcohol-related deaths.
Shops, Trading Standards and support services have been issued with new guidance ahead of the change.
“Evidence shows that the introduction of the minimum unit price for alcohol has made an important contribution in tackling the health risks associated with excessive alcohol consumption,” Nerys Evans, deputy minister for public and preventative health, said.
“But we also know that that the 50p minimum price has been made less effective by inflation, so raising it to 65p is not about punishing people who drink responsibly, it's about closing that gap and making sure the MUP keeps doing its job by keeping high strength low-cost alcohol off the shelves.”
Alcohol Change UK director for Wales Andrew Misell said the 65p price would target “the strongest cheapest drinks, that often cause the greatest harm”.
“This new 65p minimum unit price will keep big bottles of super-strength cider off the shelves, and also make it more difficult for supermarkets to offer bulk discounts, where alcoholic drinks get cheaper the more you buy,” he said.
“And all this without pushing up the price of a pint in pubs.”
Minimum unit pricing was originally introduced in Wales in March 2020 under the Public Health (Minimum Unit Price for Alcohol) (Wales) Act 2018. Earlier this year, the Senedd voted to extend the policy.
Scotland was the first country in the world to introduce MUP, bringing in a 50p-per-unit minimum price in May 2018. Its minimum price was subsequently increased to 65p in September 2024.
There is currently no mandated minimum unit price for alcohol in England or Northern Ireland.