By Alexander Cruickshanks

MINIMUM pricing for alcohol in Scotland has risen by 30% this week with the aim of tackling the growing alcohol related deaths.

The rise – from 50 pence per unit to 65 pence per unit – is also to combat inflation and is the first increase since it was introduced in 2018.

The Scottish Government insists the MUP tax is not a tax to generate income but is to curb the availability of cheap alcohol to the Scottish public.

The rise in price is seen as a deterrent and an attempt to help reduce alcohol consumption, however, people in Ayr are not convinced it will make a difference.

One resident said: “People with alcohol addiction have an addiction. They are going to pay whatever it takes to feed that addiction and it puts them in a worse financial situation.”

Another Ayr resident told uwsnewsroom: “With the cost-of-living crisis it’s a bit of a pain for the people who drink socially. It’s more of burden for them. It may have an impact on people socialising and stop them from going out.

‘They would stay at home and probably end up drinking more at home. I don’t think it’s a good thing and it won’t achieve what the government think it will.”

Peter Gordon is a barman at the Gardenhall Inn and said: “Generally they’re [customers] not happy. We see them every single day, you get to know them quite well. This is place they like to come after work and when they come back from their job to raised prices, they will obviously have a bit of complaint about it.

‘There are times when there exactly the happiest. And to be honest I can’t really repeat what most of them say in reaction to the prices. It’s along the lines of ‘You’re kidding me’, to put it in the most PG way possible.”

On the UWS campus our reporter got some reaction to the price hike from students at the University.

One student said” I am not a massive drinker, but I know a lot of people who are and there not happy about it. It just takes more money off people. It won’t put people of buying drink it will just make it more expensive.”

However, the Scottish Government believe it is the right decision and MSP Willie Rennie of the Scottish Liberal Democrats believes the original effect of the minimum pricing has diminished and this updated price will reinforce the original reason for the MUP.