Glass half full: taking the measure of the minimum unit pricing initiative

Minimum unit pricing aims to reduce alcohol-related illness and death, as it has done in other countries – but its efficacy here is likely to be tested by everything from legal challenges to cross-border shopping

Will the new price regulation succeed in its aim of reducing dangerous drinking, and what effect will it have on Irish retail? Picture: PA

On the Tuesday after New Year’s Day, Colm O’Sullivan began slapping yellow stickers on the trays of beer in Sam’s Gala convenience store in Dunmanway, Co Cork.

“Today’s price €25 – 03/01/2022” one sticker on a slab of Budweiser said, alongside another yellow label: “Tomorrow’s price €47.34 – 04/01/2022”.

Posting a picture of the stickered slabs to Facebook ahead of the advent of minimum unit pricing (MUP) drew a wave of comments shocked at the ...