In a survey undertaken for the charity Alcohol Concern, 77% of Welsh publicans, when asked whether they were in favour of a minimum of 50p per unit, said that they supported the idea.
The UK government is proposing a minimum price of 40p per unit, whilst in Scotland 45p per unit is being debated. The survey results show that many publicans in Wales would back a higher price of 50p per unit.
Results from the research also indicate that a large number of pubs in Wales are struggling, with almost half (48%) of respondents saying their sales of alcohol have decreased during the last year, and 61% of these expecting them to continue to decline over the next 12 months.
Most lay the blame at the door of supermarkets, whose cheap drinks promotions they say are damaging trade; and many believe that the introduction of a minimum price would create a more level playing field between publicans and retailers.
Prices of alcohol products are so low in the supermarkets that 22% of publicans admitted they sometimes buy their stock from there instead of the cash and carry, with nearly a third (32%) of publicans from free houses (those not tied to a brewery) saying they have sourced their alcohol in this way.
Mark Leyshon, spokesperson for Alcohol Concern Cymru, said: “Landlords are telling us that it’s unfair that they are blamed for so many of the alcohol-related problems in society, whilst supermarkets are allowed to continue to sell heavily discounted alcohol.
“It’s clear that a minimum price of 50p per alcohol unit would be of enormous help to the pub trade, but it would also have a positive impact in addressing binge-drinking and reducing alcohol-related harm.”
Source: Alcohol Concern
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