Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said that, as drink had become cheaper, alcohol-related hospital admissions had quadrupled and half of prisoners said they were drunk when they committed offences.
Increase in profit for alcohol retailers due to an increase in price of alcohol
A study into a 50p minimum alcohol price by Sheffield University said the policy would see a 5.5% cut in drinking - with harmful drinkers' consumption falling by more than 10%, compared with a 2.5% fall for moderate drinkers.