Heavy Drinkers’ Perspectives on Minimum Unit Pricing for Alcohol in Scotland
The irrefutable consequence of Scottish excessive alcohol consumption has prompted implementation and proposal of alcohol policy measures. The purpose of this study is to explore with heavy drinkers their awareness of and identify potential implications of policy introducing alcohol minimum unit pri...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2016-07-01
|
| Series: | SAGE Open |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244016657141 |
| _version_ | 1818995904040927232 |
|---|---|
| author | Fiona O’May Jan Gill Heather Black Cheryl Rees Jonathan Chick Barbara McPake |
| author_facet | Fiona O’May Jan Gill Heather Black Cheryl Rees Jonathan Chick Barbara McPake |
| author_sort | Fiona O’May |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The irrefutable consequence of Scottish excessive alcohol consumption has prompted implementation and proposal of alcohol policy measures. The purpose of this study is to explore with heavy drinkers their awareness of and identify potential implications of policy introducing alcohol minimum unit pricing (MUP). Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with drinkers with alcohol-related harm ( n = 20; 15 males, five females; aged 34 to 67 years old) in Scotland’s two largest cities (drinkers were participants within a larger quantitative study, through attendance for treatment for alcohol-related harms at National Health Service [NHS] centers). Median weekly consumption among participants was 130.7 units (range: 28-256.3 U.K. units). Views regarding the impact of increased alcohol prices, through MUP, were mixed. While some drinkers indicated potential reduction in intake, thus possibly reducing alcohol harms in the long term, the expected, or even desired, from a public health perspective, effects on consumption and associated harms might not be fully realized in this group. To mitigate possible unintended short-term detrimental effects of MUP on the most vulnerable, careful planning and appropriate resourcing may be required prior to implementation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T21:21:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-db4c288b34af4fabaf2c041e25d6dad6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2158-2440 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T21:21:15Z |
| publishDate | 2016-07-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | SAGE Open |
| spelling | doaj.art-db4c288b34af4fabaf2c041e25d6dad62022-12-21T19:26:17ZengSAGE PublishingSAGE Open2158-24402016-07-01610.1177/2158244016657141Heavy Drinkers’ Perspectives on Minimum Unit Pricing for Alcohol in ScotlandFiona O’May0Jan Gill1Heather Black2Cheryl Rees3Jonathan Chick4Barbara McPake5Queen Margaret University, Musselburgh, UKEdinburgh Napier University, UKEdinburgh Napier University, UKThe University of Edinburgh, UKEdinburgh Napier University, UKUniversity of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, AustraliaThe irrefutable consequence of Scottish excessive alcohol consumption has prompted implementation and proposal of alcohol policy measures. The purpose of this study is to explore with heavy drinkers their awareness of and identify potential implications of policy introducing alcohol minimum unit pricing (MUP). Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with drinkers with alcohol-related harm ( n = 20; 15 males, five females; aged 34 to 67 years old) in Scotland’s two largest cities (drinkers were participants within a larger quantitative study, through attendance for treatment for alcohol-related harms at National Health Service [NHS] centers). Median weekly consumption among participants was 130.7 units (range: 28-256.3 U.K. units). Views regarding the impact of increased alcohol prices, through MUP, were mixed. While some drinkers indicated potential reduction in intake, thus possibly reducing alcohol harms in the long term, the expected, or even desired, from a public health perspective, effects on consumption and associated harms might not be fully realized in this group. To mitigate possible unintended short-term detrimental effects of MUP on the most vulnerable, careful planning and appropriate resourcing may be required prior to implementation.https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244016657141 |
| spellingShingle | Fiona O’May Jan Gill Heather Black Cheryl Rees Jonathan Chick Barbara McPake Heavy Drinkers’ Perspectives on Minimum Unit Pricing for Alcohol in Scotland SAGE Open |
| title | Heavy Drinkers’ Perspectives on Minimum Unit Pricing for Alcohol in Scotland |
| title_full | Heavy Drinkers’ Perspectives on Minimum Unit Pricing for Alcohol in Scotland |
| title_fullStr | Heavy Drinkers’ Perspectives on Minimum Unit Pricing for Alcohol in Scotland |
| title_full_unstemmed | Heavy Drinkers’ Perspectives on Minimum Unit Pricing for Alcohol in Scotland |
| title_short | Heavy Drinkers’ Perspectives on Minimum Unit Pricing for Alcohol in Scotland |
| title_sort | heavy drinkers perspectives on minimum unit pricing for alcohol in scotland |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244016657141 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT fionaomay heavydrinkersperspectivesonminimumunitpricingforalcoholinscotland AT jangill heavydrinkersperspectivesonminimumunitpricingforalcoholinscotland AT heatherblack heavydrinkersperspectivesonminimumunitpricingforalcoholinscotland AT cherylrees heavydrinkersperspectivesonminimumunitpricingforalcoholinscotland AT jonathanchick heavydrinkersperspectivesonminimumunitpricingforalcoholinscotland AT barbaramcpake heavydrinkersperspectivesonminimumunitpricingforalcoholinscotland |