Ireland is set to introduce minimum pricing for alcohol in the near future.

But how will it affect the average resident? The fist study to consider just that has thrown up some interesting results in the UK.

Researchers looked at how drinkers from different income groups would be affected by minimum pricing in terms of consumption, spending, deaths, illnesses and costs to the health service.

According to the modelling study from the University of Sheffield, published in The Lancet today, minimum pricing for alcohol of 45p per unit would reduce deaths and hospital admissions among high-risk drinkers who purchase large quantities of low-cost alcohol......