Could 50p save nearly 200 lives?

Buying alcohol in the North West could soon cost at least 50p per unit.

Councils in one part of the region say setting a minimum price on alcohol could save 174 lives a year.

The Liverpool City Region along with the rest of the North West are looking at getting a by-law passed to have a minimum price of 50p per unit of alcohol.

On Monday 13 September Wirral Council's Licensing Committee of councillors agreed to ask the public what they think of the idea.

On Wirral, research shows that the minimum price could 39 lives a year.  173 deaths could also be avoided over the Liverpool City Region according to figures from the University of Sheffield.

Wirral Council are now launching a public consultation into the idea and report back to the Liverpool City Region in mid October this year.

Each local authority will apply to the Secretary of State to either implement the bylaw for the North West, or to make it a national law.