Tackling Scotland's alcohol misuse problems

3rd March 2009, 12:00pm

The Scottish Government has published its framework for tackling Scotland's £2.25 billion alcohol misuse problem.

A framework for action aims to do the following:

Introduce a minimum price for a unit of alcohol to stop strong drink being sold for 'pocket money prices'

Establish a legal obligation on licensing boards to consider whether alcohol-related problems in their area warrant an off-sales purchase age of 21, with local police chief constables able to request this at any time

Ban off-sales promotions such as 'three for two' and cut-price offers, which encourage bulk buying and over-consumption, and ban selling alcohol as a 'loss leader'

Restrict the display and marketing of alcohol products to specified areas in off-sales premises

Put in place the legal power to introduce a social responsibility fee for some retailers, with details to be developed with stakeholders over the course of this year

Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon, who launched the framework along with justice secretary Kenny MacAskil, said: "The scale of Scotland's alcohol misuse problem is shocking: 42,500 alcohol-related hospital discharges; 1,500 deaths per year; soaring rates of liver cirrhosis; the eighth highest consumption in the world and a £2.25 billion annual cost in extra services and lost productivity."

"The time has come for serious action. It is no longer an option for anyone to simply talk about the problem of alcohol misuse but shy away from the action needed to tackle it, so I hope all Parliamentarians and others who care about Scotland's health will support the measures outlined today.

"With this strategy, Scotland has a chance to show real international leadership and to prove that we will not stand idly by while alcohol misuse wrecks our nation's health and quality of life."

Mr MacAskill continued: "I believe this is the right package of measures to make a real difference and change Scotland's relationship with the bottle for the better."

As well as the measures outlined today, the Scottish Government has already introduced a range of measures to help tackle alcohol misuse including: £120 million over the period 2008-11 to identify and treat alcohol problems, creation of a Youth Commission on Alcohol, in conjunction with Young Scot, looking at the impact of alcohol misuse on young people, and an intention to review advice for parents and carers about alcohol to allow them to pass on accurate advice on sensible drinking to their children.

Dr Peter Terry, chairman of the British Medical Association in Scotland, said: "The BMA fully supports a wide-ranging strategy that tackles price and availability, which we consider are key to successfully addressing this problem.

"We strongly welcome the Scottish Government's recognition that alcohol misuse is widespread in Scotland and its commitment to lead the way in trying hard to address this issue both through short term measures and through long term culture change."

Related Articles:

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• 01 Sep 2009 - Scottish drink laws introduced today
• 05 Mar 2009 - What the experts say
• 26 Feb 2009 - Tories want to save the great British pub
• 09 Feb 2009 - Scotch sales rise as the pound falls
• 28 Jan 2009 - People are still devoted to their local pub
• 23 Jan 2009 - 99p pint is a 'disappointment'
• 16 Jan 2009 - Brits will continue drinking wine despite recession

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