(QLD) Introduce a Minimum Unit Price for Alcohol Sales
Author: Carinna Li, Alex Day, Nuria Olive & Allie Flanders | Publish date: 22/9/2026
P: In QLD, there is no minimum unit price (MUP) for alcohol sales.
S: The QLD Minister for Justice should amend Section 3 of the Liquor Act 1992 (QLD) to prohibit licensed alcohol retailers from selling alcohol below a set MUP.
E: Queensland Coalition for Action on Alcohol (2020): ‘The QCAA has today repeated their calls for Queensland to introduce a minimum unit price for alcohol, to improve the health and wellbeing of Queenslanders.’
Problem Identification:
Section 3 of the Liquor Act 1992 (QLD) stipulates that the purpose of the Act is ‘to regulate the sale and supply of liquor in particular areas to minimise harm caused by alcohol abuse and misuse, and associated violence’. However, it does not establish an MUP on alcohol.
According to the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP), this means that some liquor is sold at ‘unacceptably low prices’, affecting the health of both drinkers and their communities. Health economists and alcohol researchers, Jiang et al. (2019), noted that socioeconomically disadvantaged drinkers were ‘more likely to purchase cheap alcohol and to experience more alcohol-related harms than other drinkers.’
Context:
An MUP sets a baseline price for a unit of alcohol, meaning a unit ‘cannot be sold for less than the minimum price’. According to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF), an MUP targets packaged liquor like ‘cask or boxed wines, which provide larger amounts of alcohol at lower prices.’ They added that an ‘MUP does not affect the price of beer, wine or spirits that cost more than this.’
The ADF also found that the mean price of cask wine is $0.55 per standard drink in Australia.
Arguments:
Alcohol Change Australia emphasised that ‘the cheaper alcohol products are, the more people drink, and the more they experience harm.’ Researchers at the Centre for Alcohol Policy Research (CAPR) explained that heavy drinkers prefer cheap alcohol as this enables them to ‘pay significantly less per drink’. O’Flynn (2011) noted that increased alcohol consumption is associated with a range of psychological and physical comorbidities, including mental health disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, cardiovascular disease and neurological issues. Katherine Severi (née Brown), Chief Executive of the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS), an independent body promoting informed public policy decisions on alcohol, stated that ‘cheap alcohol destroys lives and it is often the … most vulnerable that suffer the most.’
In 2025, the NT Government repealed an MUP after concerns that it ‘failed to achieve meaningful outcomes and imposed unnecessary burdens on consumers and businesses.’ The IAS disputed these claims, and argued that this ‘narrative … is not based on evidence and given the evidence available, the repeal can largely be attributed to the politicisation of alcohol policy.’ Taylor et al. (2021) corroborated that the per capita consumption of cask wine reduced by 50.6% across the NT whilst the MUP was in place. The Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education reported that after one year of MUP implementation, the rate of alcohol-related assaults in the NT fell by 26%, and the rate of alcohol-related domestic violence fell
by 21%.
Jiang et al. (2019) noted that increasing the price of alcohol might disproportionately affect the purchasing freedom of lower socio-economic individuals. However, Anderson et al. (2024) stated the ‘potential negative effects on people with low incomes are balanced by positive health effects.’
Advice/Solution Identification:
The RACP, Cancer Council, and the ADF have called for an MUP for alcohol sales. The RACP argued that an MUP could reduce rates of heavy drinking among consumers while promoting healthier choices. Dr Nic Taylor, a research fellow at the National Drug Research Institute, stated that an MUP ‘could deliver significant public health gains and reduce government healthcare expenditure in the long term. Evidence shows that an MUP could substantially reduce harm on multiple fronts.’
Precedent:
There is domestic and international precedent for implementing minimum unit pricing as a way to reduce alcohol-related harm. The NT introduced a $1.30 MUP in 2018, but repealed this in 2025. Internationally, Scotland and Wales introduced a minimum price of £0.65 and £0.50 per unit. Public Health Scotland found that the MUP improved health outcomes, reduced alcohol-related inequalities, and lowered deaths directly caused by alcohol by approximately 13.4%. Similarly, Billan et al. (2025) concluded that an MUP in Wales reduced overall alcohol purchases and the consumption of high-strength alcohol.
Public Support of the Solution:
(This list reflects publicly stated positions and should not necessarily be taken as endorsement of this specific brief.)
Broad support for introducing a MUP:
Public Health Association Australia (PHAA) - They have recommended that governments introduce an MUP that is ‘indexed for inflation and targets the portion of the alcohol market consumed primarily by the heaviest drinkers.’ However, they have not explicitly called for MUP of alcohol sales in QLD.
The Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) - They have expressed support for MUP as an alcohol-harm-reduction measure and criticised the NT government’s decision to repeal its floor price. However, they have not explicitly called for MUP of alcohol sales in QLD.
Marzan et al. (2024) - They have argued that a more consistent alcohol-pricing policy needs to be implemented across all Australian jurisdictions. However, they have not explicitly called for MUP of alcohol sales in QLD.
Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF) - They have supported the introduction of MUP in all states. However, they suggest introducing it alongside rules that restrict promotion.
News Coverage:
Royal Automotive Club QLD (RACQ) - “RACQ research exposes QLD’s drink and drug driving crisis”. This article reported on the increase in drunk driving in QLD; it also explains the need for increased investment in alcohol and drug rehabilitation services and the introduction of harsher fines for repeat offenders. By: RACQ | 1 August 2025 - Read the article here.
FARE - “Northern Territory Government scraps alcohol floor price”. This editorial article responded to the NT government’s decision to repeal its MUP in 2025 and emphasised the organisation’s disappointment in this decision. By: FARE | 13 February 2025 - Read the article here.
ABC News - “Alice Springs Liquor Accord to maintain voluntary alcohol floor price”. This article reported on how some Alice Springs liquor stores have voluntarily maintained MUP despite the NT government's repeal. By: ABC | 10 February 2025 - Read the article here.
Connections - “The market matters: Shifting the minimum unit price”. This editorial article compared the MUP policies implemented in NT and Scotland and recommended increasing the NT MUP to $1.90. By: Connections | June 2024 - Read the article here.
Where to go to learn more:
(2020) QCAA Calls for Queensland to Introduce Minimum Unit Price on Alcohol | The Queensland Coalition for Action on Alcohol (QCAA) - In this media release, the QCAA recommended an MUP for alcohol in QLD. They have maintained that position despite the repeal of the NT MUP. Read the release here.
(2024) The high cost of cheap alcohol | The Royal Australasian College of Physicians - This factsheet explored the negative effects of alcohol and the likely effects of introducing an MUP on consumption in Australia by examining its impacts in NT, Scotland and Russia. Moreover, it highlights the value of the MUP in reducing health inequalities. View the fact sheet here.
(2024) Media Release - Minimum unit pricing | Association of Alcohol and Other Drugs Agency NT (AADANT) - This media release urged policy-makers in the NT to retain the MUP and emphasised the relationship between the availability of cheap alcohol and increased alcohol-related harms. Read the release here.
(2022) Evaluation of Minimum Unit Price of Alcohol in the Northern Territory | Northern Territory Department of Health - This report evaluated the impact of the MUP against its main objectives and recommended against removing the MUP, finding evidence that it had affected consumption patterns. Prepared by Frontier Economics in partnership with Yarning. View the report here.
(2023) Minimum Unit Pricing for Alcohol: Lessons from Scotland for Australia | Public Health Association Australia - This post discussed the evaluation of Scotland’s MUP policy 5 years after its introduction, summarising evidence on how the policy affected alcohol prices, consumption and health outcomes, and drawing lessons relevant for alcohol pricing policy in Australia. View the article here.
(2025) Local environments, accessibility and affordability: A qualitative analysis of alcohol purchasing across different socio-economic areas in Victoria, Australia | Caluzzi et al. - This study explored how local environments, accessibility and affordability shaped alcohol purchasing practices across different socio-economic contexts in VIC. View the article here.
(2023) Cask wine: Describing drinking patterns associated with Australia’s cheapest alcohol | Torney et al. - This paper examined drinking patterns associated with Australia’s cheapest alcohol, cask wine, finding it is consumed in large quantities at home and more often by heavier drinkers compared to bottled wine. View the article here.
Human Perspective:
Content Warning: Alcohol abuse
Ethan was an outgoing person who loved going to live music gigs at local bars and was, at first, only a social drinker. But after losing his job in his mid-20s and facing mounting financial pressures, he began drinking more heavily to cope with his stress and anxiety. What started as occasional drinking quickly escalated, as he found cheap, high-strength wine to be an affordable way to deal with the pressures of daily life. He often drank large amounts of cheap cask wine, which took a serious toll on his health and left him isolated from friends and family. His sister, Laura, remembers the frustration and heartbreak of seeing him struggle – the late-night hospital visits, the failed attempts to cut back and the moments when he seemed to lose hope. Despite his struggles, Ethan remained aware of the broader issue, explaining how cheap alcohol was a trap for people like him and how stronger measures could prevent others from following the same path. He felt that reducing access to these products would help to better protect people such as himself from the harms of excessive drinking.
To protect the anonymity of those involved, this is a fictionalised account drawn from an amalgamation of real-life stories, experiences and testimonials gathered during the research process for this brief. Any resemblance to actual individuals is purely coincidental.
Conflict of interest/acknowledgment statement:
Taylor, N. (2026). Chat regarding Minimum Unit Price in VIC [Video interview with Research Fellow, National Drug Research Institute], on 06/03/26.
Support
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Disclaimers
Please review all FORE disclaimers here.
Reference list:
Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF). (2023). Minimum unit price for alcohol vs ‘big alcohol’ profits. https://adf.org.au/insights/mup-vs-alcohol-profits/
Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF). (2019). Minimum unit price for alcohol. https://cdn.adf.org.au/media/documents/AlcoholUnitPrice_ShortPP_Final1.pdf
Alcohol Change Australia. (2023). Public Opinion on Alcohol in Australia: Knowledge, attitudes, and support for change. https://alcoholchangeaus.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/AlcoholChangeAustralia_Report_FINAL.pdf
Anderson, P., Stockwell, T., Natera, G., & Kaner, E. (2024). Minimum unit pricing for alcohol saves lives, so why is it not implemented more widely? BMJ, 384, e077550. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2023-077550
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Cancer Council. (n.d.). Alcohol: Policy priorities. https://www.cancer.org.au/about-us/policy-and-advocacy/prevention/alcohol/policy-priorities
Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE). (2017, October 3). Momentum builds for alcohol price reforms to tackle the harm caused by cheap booze [Media release]. FARE. https://fare.org.au/momentum-builds-for-alcohol-price-reforms-to-tackle-the-harm-caused-by-cheap-booze/
Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) and People’s Alcohol Action Coalition (PAAC). (2019). Northern Territory Alcohol Harm-Reduction Report. FARE and PAAC. https://fare.org.au/wp-content/uploads/NT-Alcohol-Harm-reduction-Report.pdf
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