Scottish health secretary Nicola Sturgeon has revealed that the proposed minimum price per unit of alcohol is to be set at 45p as part of a wider bid to tackle drink-related issues.

Sturgeon said the introduction of minimum pricing for alcohol would have "significant" benefits during the first year, including a fall in the number of hospital admissions and a £5.5m reduction in healthcare costs. "It is no coincidence that as the affordability of alcohol has plummeted in recent decades, alcohol-related deaths, disease, crime and disorder have spiralled," said Sturgeon.

"Getting the price right is vital for minimum pricing to work - too low and it will simply be ineffective. After careful consideration, we believe that 45p per unit is the right price." Dr Brian Keighley, chair of the British Medical Association in Scotland, has welcomed the news. He said: "Unlike suggested alternatives coming forward from Labour and the Conservatives, minimum pricing will have an immediate effect in tackling alcohol misuse in Scotland."

The news comes days after a commission set up by the Scottish Labour party recommended a UK-wide ban on the sale of alcohol below the cost of production, duty and VAT.