Minimum alcohol pricing would be sensible policy

I refer to Billy Ryle’s letter ‘Drinkers will follow the pint at any price, be it to Heaven of Hell’ (Letters, February 11). 

The debate on the misuse of alcohol has rumbled on and the suite of measures announced by Health Minister Leo Varadkar is proportionate, affecting a small number of alcohol-dependent drinkers who buy cheaply in off-licences.

Introducing minimum-unit pricing for alcohol should lead to fewer deaths and fewer hospital admissions among heavy-drinkers, while having only a slight effect, if any, on moderate and responsible drinkers.

Harmful drinkers on low incomes will be squeezed most of all.

The objective is to reduce per-capita consumption of alcohol to the European average and this will have a negligible, if any, impact on pub prices.

Gerry Coughlan

Parkhill West

Kilnamanagh

Dublin 24