Scotland has a difficult relationship with drink, and a study by Alcohol Focus Scotland has revealed the scale of the problem. According to figures released yesterday, alcohol abuse costs £221 million in policing, health and social care in Edinburgh – an annual cost of £455 for each and every one of Edinburgh’s citizens.
Commenting on Alcohol Focus Scotland’s findings , Health Minister Alex Neil said: ”These findings demonstrate the continuing extent of Scotland’s alcohol misuse problem which costs Scotland £3.6 billion per year, equating to £900 per adult in Scotland whether they drink or not. Alcohol sales are still unacceptably high, with enough alcohol being sold for every adult to exceed weekly recommended limits for men (21 units) each and every week since at least 2000.
“In particular, sales in the off-trade have increased significantly since the mid 1990s, driven by very cheap alcohol prices, particularly in supermarkets. A minimum price per unit of alcohol will almost exclusively impact on the off-trade and will raise the price of this cheaper alcohol. Of course, there is no single measure which will help change Scotland’s relationship with alcohol misuse. That is why our Alcohol Framework outlined a package of over 40 measures to reduce alcohol related harm and why the NHS helped almost 100,000 Scots to cut their drinking last year through Alcohol Brief Interventions.
“While it is a matter for individual licensing boards to issue licences based on applications made to them, I welcome boards making use of the powers granted in the Licensing (Scotland) 2005 Act, such as the overprovision policy, to address Scotland’s troubled relationship with alcohol.”
How can we tackle Scotland’s love affair with booze? Is drink too easily available? Or too cheap?
Iis minimum pricing the answer? Let us know what you think
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