Bargain booze has become a little more expensive in Scotland, which says it is the first country in the world to introduce minimum unit pricing for alcohol.
From Tuesday, retailers must charge at least 50 pence (68 cents) per unit, amounting to about 70 pence for a bottle of beer or 5 pounds for a bottle of wine.
Continue Reading Below
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon praised Scotland for being “bold enough and brave enough” to take the step.
But a measure public health advocates call a watershed moment has been a long time coming.
Scottish lawmakers approved minimum pricing in 2012, after which it was delayed for six years by legal challenges from the Scottish Whisky Association.
Scottish authorities say alcohol misuse causes about 697 hospital admissions and 22 deaths a week.
