Abstract
Background and aims
A minimum unit price (MUP) of AUD$1.30 per standard drink was implemented in 2018 in the Northern Territory (NT), Australia, to reduce the availability of cheap alcohol. Despite evidence of its efficacy in decreasing alcohol consumption and harms, the MUP was repealed on 1 March 2025. This study aimed to determine the immediate impacts of the MUP repeal on the price of off-premises (i.e. takeaway) alcohol in Darwin, NT, assessing the proportion of products available <$1.30 per standard drink after the repeal in March 2025, identifying whether these products were pre-existing or new to market, and analysing any broader shifts in the price distribution across all alcoholic products that could be attributable to the repeal.
Design and participants
Observational study of all alcoholic products available from three large alcohol retailer websites.
Setting
Darwin, NT, between October 2024 and March 2025.
Measurements
Price per standard drink was estimated, and fixed-effects panel quantile regression was used to test for price differences.
Findings
Within one month of the repeal, no beer or spirits, 5.1% of all wine and 2.5% of all ciders were available <$1.30 per standard drink, including 67.6% of the 37 wine products in vessels ≥1 L. Of the products identified at <$1.30 per standard drink, most had been available in previous months (i.e. not new or restocked). Quantile regression results showed a downward shift in price across the market for all product types, including beer and spirits, which were priced substantially above the $1.30 threshold at all percentiles. The largest reductions were observed for cheaper spirits, beer, cider and wine ≥1 L, ranging from $0.08 at the 20th percentile for spirits to $0.48 for wine ≥1 L at the 10th percentile.
Conclusions
The minimum unit price repeal in Northern Territory, Australia, in March 2025 resulted in an immediate increase in the availability of cheap alcohol products and a downward shift in the overall price of alcohol in the off-premises market, particularly for lower-priced products.