The opposition, Labour, refused to support the legislation because the Act failed to claw back an estimated £125m windfall profit from alcohol retailers.

[2] The decision of the court, delivered in December 2015, was that such legislation would only be lawful if alternative policies such as higher taxes would not be effective in protecting public health.

[3][4] On 15 November 2017, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom unanimously rejected the Scotch Whisky Association's case, ending the legal battle, arguing that minimum pricing was a "proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim".

[6] As of September 2024, the minimum price has increased to 65 pence per unit, reflecting efforts to address inflation and continue reducing alcohol-related deaths and hospital admissions.

[7] Research by Newcastle University published in May 2021 found that alcohol sales dropped by 7.7% in Scotland following the introduction of a minimum price, when compared to north-east England.