The EU's top court ruled on Wednesday that Scotland's minimum price system for alcohol, designed to stop people "drinking themselves to death", was contrary to EU law.

The European Court of Justice said the measure violated the bloc's single market rules while its objective of reducing alcohol intake would be better achieved by tax measures.

The Scottish government introduced the system in 2012 to tackle what it said was "Scotland's unhealthy relationship with alcohol" and the toll it was taking, especially among the young.