Introducing minimum pricing for alcohol would not target problem drinkers and would hit jobs and trade, a pro-business economics consultancy said.
It would cost consumers £121 million a year but harmful drinkers would only reduce their habit by around two pints a week, a report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) said.
The Executive is pressing ahead with plans which could see a minimum price of 40p-50p per unit of alcohol introduced in Northern Ireland in a bid to tackle binge drinking.
Senior economist at the CEBR Benjamin Williamson said: "This report shows that the case for minimum pricing is extremely weak, it would not target problem drinkers and would have a genuine negative economic impact in terms of jobs, trade and costs to the consumer.
Source: Irish Independent, 30/01/2012
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