SALES of alcohol in Wales are set to be governed by a system of minimum pricing enforceable by law.

In what amounts to a declaration of war on alcohol-related ill health, the Welsh Government has unveiled its Public Health (Minimum Price for Alcohol) (Wales) Bill, which it hopes will become law.

If passed, it would introduce a minimum price for alcohol supplied in Wales, and make it an offence for shops to sell alcohol below that price. It proposes:

• A formula for calculating the minimum price for alcohol, using the percentage strength of the alcohol, its volume and the minimum unit price;

• Powers for Welsh ministers to develop regulations to specify that minimum unit price;

• To set up an enforcement regime, run by councils, with powers of entry, and powers to prosecute offences and issue fixed penalty notices.

The Bill is designed to address longstanding health concerns about the effects of excess alcohol consumption, estimated to cause 50,000 alcohol-related hospital admissions a year in Wales, costing the NHS here £120 million a year. In 2015, there were 463 alcohol-related deaths in Wales.

It is intended to support the Welsh Government’s strategy to tackle harmful and hazardous drinking by tackling the availability and affordability of cheap, strong alcohol.

Research from 2014 on the impacts of introducing, as an example, a 50p minimum unit price (MUP), estimated that this would result in 53 fewer deaths and 1,400 fewer hospital admissions in Wales a year.

It is also estimated savings to the NHS in Wales of more than £130m over 20 years, by reducing the impact on services, such as A&E.

Over 20 years it is estimated too, that a 50p MUP could contribute £882m to the Welsh economy by reducing alcohol-related illness, crime, and lost working days of up to 10,000 a year.

Public health minister Rebecca Evans AM is expected to introduce the Bill before the Assembly today.

“Alcohol-related harm is a significant public health problem in Wales," she said. "The 463 alcohol-attributable deaths in 2015 were all avoidable, and each would have had a devastating effect on the person’s family and friends.

"Alcohol-related harm also has a big impact on public services such as the NHS.

“There is a very clear and direct link between levels of excessive drinking and the availability of cheap alcohol. We need to take decisive action now to address the affordability of alcohol, as part of wider efforts to tackle alcohol-related harm.

“The Bill will tackle excessive alcohol consumption by making it an offence for retailers to sell strong alcohol at low prices. This will undoubtedly help save lives.”

Chief Medical Officer for Wales Dr Frank Atherton said that as alcohol has become more affordable, consumption has increased, and as consumption increases, harm increases.

Calling a minimum unit price "an effective and efficient way of reducing excessive alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm", he predicted it would have a

"small impact on moderate drinkers."

THE charity Alcohol Concern - which has released research showing that alcohol can currently be purchased in Wales for as little as 18p per unit - welcomed the Bill.

It has been campaigning for the price control measure, which it says will improve health and save lives, without penalising the majority of drinkers.

The charity's director in Wales, Andrew Misell, called it "an important and effective step in addressing the harms caused by alcohol misuse in Wales."

“Crucially, this isn’t a tax on booze. Minimum pricing is a much more targeted measure than tax, because it raises the prices of only the very cheapest alcoholic drinks on the market – those that tend to be purchased and consumed by the heaviest drinkers,” he said.

Some of the cheapest drinks found by Alcohol Concern on sale in Wales at present include: three litres of strong cider for £3.99, or 18p per unit; 70cl of fortified wine for £2.99, or 27p per unit; 70cl of vodka or gin for £10.00, or 38p per unit.

A minimum unit price of 50p, if that the level settled upon, would raise the prices and many others substantially, or they would have to be withdrawn from sale.

But Alcohol Concern’s analysis of well-known alcohol brands available to buy online from major supermarkets found that most of these would not be affected by the 50p threshold, except when on special offer or being sold with a multiple purchase discount.

"If you’re a moderate or light drinker then you really have nothing to worry about," said Mr Misell.

"We may end up seeing fewer alcohol price promotions like buy-one-get-one-free deals but it’s unlikely we will see significant increases in the prices of the most popular alcohol brands.

"This is about tackling the cheap, high-strength products most associated with harmful drinking.”

Dr Andrew Yeoman, clinical lead for the Wales Liver Disease Plan, said there is "no doubt" that cheap, high-strength alcohol is a significant contributor to a growing number of patients with alcohol-related health problems, including liver disease.

"Deaths from liver disease in Wales continue to rise, and heavy drinking remains the major cause of this. The health benefits of removing the sale of cheap alcohol in our society are irrefutable," he said.

Professor Mark Bellis, director of policy, research and international development at Public Health Wales said: “The introduction of a minimum price for a unit of alcohol in Wales will help decrease consumption amongst those drinking at harmful levels, will reduce the opportunities for young people to buy alcohol at pocket money prices, and will save lives."