Minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol in the Republic of Ireland came into effect on 4 January 2022.
It sets a minimum price for a gram of alcohol, meaning it cannot be sold for less than that price.
It doesn’t matter where the alcohol is sold – off-licence, supermarket, bar or restaurant – the minimum price stays the same.
Costs Increase
In May last year, the Federation of Independent Retailers (NFRN) said that the cheapest bottle of wine will now cost €7.75, where previously it could cost under €5.
A 700ml bottle of supermarket gin or vodka costing between €13 and €14 will rise to €20.71 under the system, while a 440ml can of lager will be a minimum of €1.32.
According to the NFRN, Minimum Unit Pricing was originally approved in 2018, but implementation had been delayed because the government wished to implement the measure at the same time as Northern Ireland in order to discourage potential smuggling and consumers travelling to retailers in the north.
What Is The MUP?
According to the HSE, one standard drink in Ireland contains 10 grammes of alcohol and some examples of a standard drink given by the HSE are a pub measure of spirits (35.5mls), a small glass of wine (12.5% volume), and a half pint of normal beer. The minimum price for one standard drink will now be €1.
For example, a 12.5% bottle of wine has 7.4 standard drinks and from today, cannot be sold for less than €7.40.
Minimum unit pricing on alcohol prevents strong alcohol from being sold at low prices.
© 2022 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern. For more Drinks news click here. Click sign up to subscribe to Checkout.
