Alcohol minimum unit pricing and people experiencing homelessness: A qualitative study of stakeholders' perspectives and experiences.

Content Provider	Europe PMC
Author	Dimova, Elena D. Strachan, Heather Johnsen, Sarah Emslie, Carol Whiteford, Martin Rush, Robert Smith, Iain Stockwell, Tim Whittaker, Anne Elliott, Lawrie
Abstract	AbstractIntroductionMinimum unit pricing (MUP) may reduce harmful drinking in the general population, but there is little evidence regarding its impact on marginalised groups. Our study is the first to explore the perceptions of MUP among stakeholders working with people experiencing homelessness following its introduction in Scotland in May 2018.MethodsQualitative semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 41 professional stakeholders from statutory and third sector organisations across Scotland. We explored their views on MUP and its impact on people experiencing homelessness, service provision and implications for policy. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsParticipants suggested that the introduction of MUP in Scotland had negligible if any discernible impact on people experiencing homelessness and services that support them. Most service providers felt insufficiently informed about MUP prior to its implementation. Participants reported that where consequences for these populations were evident, they were primarily anticipated although some groups were negatively affected. People experiencing homelessness have complex needs in addition to alcohol addiction, and changes in the way services work need to be considered in future MUP‐related discussions.Discussion and ConclusionsThis study suggests that despite initial concerns about potential unintended consequences of MUP, many of these did not materialise to the levels anticipated. As a population‐level health policy, MUP is likely to have little beneficial impact on people experiencing homelessness without the provision of support to address their alcohol use and complex needs. The additional needs of certain groups (e.g., people with no recourse to public funds) need to be considered.
Related Links	https://europepmc.org/backend/ptpmcrender.fcgi?accid=PMC10087680&blobtype=pdf
Page Count	13
ISSN	09595236
Journal	Drug and Alcohol Review [Drug Alcohol Rev]
Volume Number	42
DOI	10.1111/dar.13548
PubMed Central reference number	PMC10087680
Issue Number	1
PubMed reference number	36169446
e-ISSN	14653362
Language	English
Publisher	John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd
Publisher Date	2022-09-28
Publisher Place	Melbourne
Access Restriction	Open
Rights License	This is an open access article under the terms of the http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2022 The Authors. Drug and Alcohol Review published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.
Subject Keyword	alcohol health policy homeless people minimum unit pricing Scotland
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Health (social science) Medicine