Need to know
More than 60 health bodies and charities have written to the First Minister and deputy First Minister calling for minimum unit pricing to be introduced
More than 60 health bodies and charities have written to the First and deputy First Minister calling for minimum unit pricing to be introduced(Image: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Everything you need to know:
- More than 60 health bodies and charities have written to Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly urging them to introduce minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol.
- Alcohol-related deaths in Northern Ireland have risen by 81% in a decade, from 219 in 2014 to 397 in 2024. The Alcohol Health Alliance says Northern Ireland’s alcohol deaths have now “overtaken both Scotland and the North East of England”.
- In Scotland, where MUP was introduced in 2018, alcohol-specific deaths decreased by 7% in 2024 to the lowest annual total since 2019. The Department of Health says alcohol misuse costs Northern Ireland up to £900 million every year.
- “We hope these troubling figures will prompt renewed focus on addressing alcohol-related harm, which continues to affect far too many families and communities across Northern Ireland,” the letter states.
- Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has repeatedly stressed his commitment to MUP but claims he is experiencing a “blockage” from Executive colleagues. He has warned that time is running out to implement the policy before the end of this assembly mandate.
- The letter was signed by major health organisations including the Royal College of Psychiatrists in NI, Cancer Research UK, and the British Medical Association Northern Ireland Council.
READ THE FULL STORY: O’Neill and Little-Pengelly urged to act on alcohol price limits as deaths rise
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