An Erskine rehab service has reacted to the Scottish Government raising the Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) for alcohol.

Abbeycare Group, which runs a specialist residential rehab and detox service in Erskine, say that they welcome any move that "reduces the harms" caused by alcohol.

However, the group say that they want the government to target people before they start drinking harmfully in the first place.

It was announced earlier today that The Scottish Government would continue with their Minimum Unit Pricing for alcohol, with the level rising from 50p to 65p.

The rise will take effect from September 30 this year if it is approved by the Scottish Parliament, Deputy First Minister Shona Robison said in a statement.

More investment is demanded by Abbeycare Group as they want a review of marketing and education on the harms associated with it.

Liam Mehigan, operations director of the Abbeycare Group, said: “We welcome any initiative that could help reduce the harms caused by alcohol in Scotland, which our staff see first-hand every day.

“However, the sale price is only part of the solution. We also need to focus on preventing people from drinking harmfully in the first place.

“We would like to see more investment in harm reduction and treatment services for alcohol, including a review of marketing and education on the harms associated with it, as well as more thorough and consistent interventions in hospital A&Es, police stations, courts, and our prisons.

“For those with more acute alcohol dependency who access services such as Abbeycare Scotland, we need to continue to ensure funding and pathways are available to facilitate recovery.”