Minimum alcohol pricing has cost Scots £270 million over the last four years, research shows.
The flagship policy was introduced by the Scottish Government in May 2018 as a way of reducing the appeal of cheap high-strength drinks blamed for causing health problems.
The law makes retailers charge 50p per unit of alcohol and is credited with a drop in the sale of ciders and spirits from shops.
But new research by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has found that minimum unit pricing has also hit Scots who enjoy a drink in the pocket - with an average loss of £71 since the policy began.
Christopher Snowden, who researched the costs for the IEA, said: "Our estimate suggests that minimum pricing has cost Scottish drinkers more than a quarter of a billion pounds.
"Now in its fifth year, minimum pricing is a reminder that politicians are often responsible for the rising cost of living.
"Although alcohol consumption has fallen slightly in Scotland, we find no evidence that this has led to an improvement in health outcomes.
"Consumers have simply switched from the most affordable alcohol to mid-range brands, to the benefit of alcohol producers and retailers.
"The policy could be dropped tomorrow without costing the government a penny."
Minimum unit pricing was adopted in Wales in 2020 and was also introduced in the Republic of Ireland earlier this year.
The policy was first backed by MSPs in 2012 but was subject to a long-running legal challenge from the Scotch Whisky Association.
UK Supreme Court judges ruled it did not breach EU law in 2017 which paved the way for its introduction the following year.
Research published by Public Health Scotland in 2021 found that minimum pricing had a minimal impact on drink-related crime.
Jon Bannister, a criminology professor at Manchester Metropolitan University, said the reduction in the quantity of alcohol bought has had "minimal impact on the levels of alcohol-related crime, disorder and public nuisance reported in Scotland".
Alison Douglas, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, described the findings as "disappointing" given the reduction in off-sales consumption and insisted early indications were that MUP had "saved lives".
She has previously called for the Scottish Government to increase the unit minimum price - initially set in 2012 - to "at least 65p per unit".
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said: "In 2020 we saw total alcohol sales reported as falling to their lowest level for 26 years.
"We had already seen that alcohol sales were falling since our world-leading policy was introduced in 2018 – indeed research published in the Lancet found alcohol sales fell almost eight per cent.
"Prior to the pandemic, the reduction in alcohol specific deaths showed encouraging early signs that the introduction of MUP was having a positive impact.
"Evaluation is ongoing, with a final report from Public Health Scotland in 2023."
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