Levy on alcohol and cigarette retailers would save lives
A levy on retailers who sell cigarettes and alcohol would save lives and make a big difference for our nation’s health and frontline recovery services, says the Scottish Greens health spokesperson Gillian Mackay MSP.
Ms Mackay’s comments come as the Non-Communicable Disease Alliance Scotland has urged the Cabinet Secretary for Finance to include a levy in the upcoming budget, with polling showing that a majority of the public would support the move.
A recent report by the Fraser of Allander Institute found that such a levy could raise £57 million a year if set at 13p per pound which could pay for smoking cessation programmes, breastfeeding support in communities, or increased screening programmes for cancer. This would come from the additional revenues raised for businesses via minimum unit pricing.
Ms Mackay said:
“Minimum unit pricing has helped to change Scotland’s relationship with alcohol, but the money it has generated has simply meant even greater profits for large supermarkets.
“Far too many lives are lost to alcohol and tobacco misuse every year. Access to support is limited, yet these harmful products are so freely available to buy.
“If retailers are profiting from the sale of products that are damaging public health, then they should also pay towards mitigating the health and social costs that they are causing.
“If some of the money that was raised was being invested in health and recovery services it could make a big difference for people and families who are on the frontline of the crisis.
“We can only tackle the root cause of misuse of harmful products if we have funded services in place to support individuals, their families, and communities in need. A levy on retailers who sell alcohol and tobacco would be a small change that could directly fund these vital services and save lives.”