Former Deloitte director Tim Wilson said his research found that as few as just over one in five adults – 21% – would buy less alcohol if a minimum price was set.

A total of 26% said they would drink the same amount and spend more money, 9% would look for ways to buy alcohol more cheaply and 10% would switch to cheaper brands.

Overall, 52% said they would either spend more on the same amount of drink or look for cheaper alternatives.

The Scottish Government has proposed legislation to bring in minimum pricing, but opposition parties are against the move and it does not yet have enough parliamentary support.

The scale of Scotland’s alcohol problem has been revealed by a Scottish Government report that shows 21,000 intoxicated patients a year are being treated in hospital accident and emergency departments.

The research showed that many people link cheap supermarket alcohol with “pre-fuelling” or “pre-loading” on drink before going on a night out. The proportion of adult drinkers who have at least two drinks at home before going out varies by region, according to the research.

Scotland had the highest ratio with 22%, followed by Londoners with 18%. Scottish drinkers are the most likely (35%) to take the hit on pricing and continue to drink the same amount should minimum pricing be introduced.

The Scottish Government has not yet set a proposed level for the minimum pricing. Earlier this year, the Chief Medical Officer for England, Sir Liam Donaldson, called for the minimum to be set at 50p per unit.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown distanced himself from Sir Liam’s comments, saying the Government did not wish to penalise the sensible drinkers who make up the majority.

Mr Wilson, who worked in the food and drink division of Deloitte, publishes a quarterly study – the Wilson Drinks Report – based on industry trends and consumer attitudes.

He said: “We are yet to be persuaded that minimum pricing would actually work as intended.

“Research suggests consumers will either take the hit on price or simply switch to a cheaper alternative.

“Minimum pricing is obviously good news for the Government as higher retail prices will yield additional VAT.

However, minimum pricing is both good and bad news for retailers. Any price rise at the till goes directly to the retailer, and they may or may not share any windfalls with their suppliers.

“The research shows that 89% of British adult drinkers buy alcohol in supermarkets. Our analysis also shows that retailers’ own-label alcoholic drinks have some of the lowest prices per unit of alcohol.

Any implementation of minimum pricing would hit these drinks the hardest.

“Minimum pricing might be a very simple concept to apply, but the research suggests it is unlikely to reduce consumption. It may also be illegal under EU competition law.”

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association claims drinkers could head south if Scotland goes its own way. About 16% of Irish householders now shop in Northern Ireland due to price differences north and south of the border.

Data from market research company Nielsen Ireland suggests off-sales takings in Northern Ireland rose by 30% in the year to August, while those in the south declined by 7%.

This discrepancy, the association claims, is attributable to southern consumers travelling to Northern Ireland to take advantage of lower prices for alcohol.

The Republic of Ireland has the highest excise rates in Europe for wine and the second highest for beer and spirits.