Concerns over so-called binge-drinking in the UK have led the governing coalition to fix a minimum price for alcohol in England and Wales.

Drinks would no longer be sold for less than the tax and duty owed on them, adding up to 45 cents for a can of the weakest lager and 12.79 euros for a bottle of vodka.

“I think while you have got a situation where in some supermarkets you can walk in and buy incredibly cheap drink, a lot of it high strength lager, which people are using to get off their heads before they even go out, that is what we want to hit,” Prime Minister David Cameron told an audience.

Critics said this was a step in the right direction, but a very small one.

The Scottish Parliament last year rejected plans for a minimum price. Opposition MPs said it would penalise those who drank responsibly and could also be illegal under EU competition law.