Alcohol pricing and tax policies are among the most effective and well-evidenced options for tackling alcohol-related harms. However, it is less clear how effective they are in reducing alcohol consumption among people with alcohol dependence. Some commentators argue that those with dependence will obtain alcohol whatever the cost and may adopt other harmful behaviours, such as using illicit drugs, shoplifting or reducing spending on essentials such as food or heating. A small body of evidence suggests people with dependence share these concerns and, in some cases, experience financial difficulties when policy changes make alcohol less affordable. However, we still know relatively little about what people with alcohol dependence themselves think about the merits of pricing policies or other alcohol policy options.

This briefing note reports on findings from a study evaluating alcohol pricing policies in Great Britain. These include Scotland’s minimum unit pricing (MUP) policy - originally introduced in 2018 and subsequently increased in 2024 - and reforms and increases to alcohol taxes introduced across the UK in 2023. The research aimed to find out what people with experience of alcohol dependency think about alcohol pricing policies and their perceived impacts, as well as exploring the other policy options they would recommend.