The government of England is proposing a minimum price of 40p on each unit of alcohol sold in England and Wales. This type of policy is known as a price floor. The law is suggested in order to decrease the negative externality that is caused by alcohol it is also not made to completely stop the usage of alcohol but instead to encourage responsible drinking.
It is mentioned in the article that the price floor will only lead to a 50000 fewer crimes each year and 900 fewer alcohol related deaths by the end of the decade. This is a very low decrease compared to one million alcohol related crimes and the 1.2 million alcohol related hospital admissions. The government should consider the tax as it may be of more benefit.
Works Cited:
Triggle, Nick. “Minimum Alcohol Price Planned for England and Wales.” BBC News. BBC, 23 Mar. 2012. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.