Calling time on cheap alcohol deals

Any way you look at it, the scale of alcohol abuse in Scotland is staggering. Last year enough alcohol was sold in Scotland to allow every person over the age of 16 to drink more than the recommended upper limit for men every week of the year. Half of men and almost one-third of women regularly drink more than is safe. Alcohol-related deaths have more than doubled in the past 15 years. Scotland has one of the fastest-growing rates of liver disease in the world.

Scots may have always liked a drink but behind these headlines is a wider cultural change. Put simply, drink has become stronger, cheaper and easier to buy. Fifty years ago, people not only drank less, but they drank differently. Now, instead of beer and spirits, drinkers turn to stronger wines, cider and alcopops.

Drink is far more available - in supermarkets aisles and off-sales - and subject to far-smarter marketing and promotions.

The government puts the cost of Scotland's addiction to alcohol at £2.25bn. Little wonder that it says now is the time for "bold" measures to change the culture.

"The facts are stark," said Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon as she unveiled the Scottish Government's consultation on tackling alcohol misuse yesterday. "The government is not by any stretch of the imagination anti-alcohol.

"Alcohol is a normal and acceptable part of life and Scottish culture. But as a government we are, and as a society we should be, concerned about alcohol misuse in Scotland."

The consultation document published yesterday is controversial. It strikes at alcohol on three fronts: price, availability and the ingrained culture of drinking.

They include ending "three for the price of two" promotions which the government says encourages impulse buying of alcohol, restricting promotional material in licensed premises and introducing a minimum price for a unit of alcohol, a move which has been widely criticised by retailers and drink industry chiefs.

The level of the minimum price has yet to be determined but Ms Sturgeon, who was joined by Kenny MacAskill, the Justice Secretary, at the launch in Armadale, West Lothian, said 35p a unit was an "illustrative example".

It would mean that the price of Tesco's own brand of strong dry cider would increase 97%, White Lightning 71% and Orchard Mill Cider 108%. Other popular drinks would rise in price, including a Stowells wine box which would increase 110% and McEwans Export Premium which would increase 35%.

Retailers claim minimum pricing, which the government say could be done through licensing legislation, is ill-thought out and will "penalise" the majority of people who are drink responsibly. "The Scottish Government is wrong to believe there is a simple link between price and alcohol misuse," said Fiona Moriarty, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium.

"Prices and promotions are broadly the same across the UK but alcohol-related deaths are far higher in Scotland than England which clearly shows Scotland's relationship with alcohol is deep rooted and complex.

"At a time when customers' finances are under severe pressure it's incredible that the Scottish Government believes voters will thank them for using the force of law to push up prices."

A spokesman for Tesco, which has called on the UK Government to initiate discussions on responsible pricing on alcohol, said: "It's simplistic to put the blame wholly on price. You look at the Continent, where alcohol is cheap, and they have no culture of binge drinking. Then there's Scandinavia, which has expensive drink but also problems with bingeing. The vast majority of our alcohol is sold as part of people's weekly shops and families are tightening the strings, looking for deals. If you say that 95% of people drink responsibly, would it be fair to penalise the majority? You can enjoy a deal without putting on a hood and attacking somebody."

The consultation paper, Changing Scotland's Relationship With Alcohol, claims that the introduction of a minimum price would have "no impact" on premium-priced beer, wines and spirits.

But its critics are concerned that it will also impact on "responsible" consumers and the drinks industry.

Gavin Hewitt, chief executive of the Scotch Whisky Association, said: "Minimum prices for alcoholic drinks set by politicians intrude in the commercial market.

"Advertising and promotion restrictions will also need to be carefully scrutinised as they could negatively impact on the sale of Scotch whisky in licensed premises and rural distillery visitor centres."

Mr MacAskill said it was "wrong" to have a bottle of water on sale for more than a bottle of cider and Ms Sturgeon insisted that there was a "strong case" for linking the price of alcohol to its strength.

She added: "It is pocket money alcohol. It is the brands and products that are very cheap that we would be seeking to target."

Under the proposals, Buckfast would not increase in price as it already costs more than 35p per unit. A spokesman for J Chandler & Co, which makes the tonic wine, said: "We don't understand how minimum pricing would solve these problems (of underage drinking); there are many other issues."

Another measure outlined by the government is the plan to raise the age at which people can buy alcohol in off-sales from 18 to 21.

The Scottish Grocers' Federation, which represents retailers, said it was "unfair and would result in a farcical situation where an 18-year-old could go into a pub or club to consume alcohol but that same individual would be unable to buy alcohol from an off-licence".

John Drummond, chief executive, added: "At 18 you can vote, drive, marry and fight for your country but don't expect to buy a six-pack to drink in front of the TV when you get back from Iraq."

Benet Slay, managing director of Diageo Great Britain, said: "The fact that an 18-year-old could drink alcohol in a pub, club or restaurant, yet would not be old enough to purchase a bottle of beer and drink it at home is clearly illogical."

Ms Sturgeon said: "The evidence from other countries is compelling. It suggests that deferring the age at which people begin to consume alcohol regularly has a positive impact on crime and antisocial behaviour."

Other proposals include a "social responsibility fee" charged to some retailers to offset some of the £2.25bn cost of alcohol misuse in Scotland and establishing separate checkouts for alcohol sales.

But Ms Moriarty said the plans would affect retailers and consumers. She said: "Those determined to drink excessively will not be put off by separate checkouts but they would inconvenience responsible customers, pile on thousands of pounds of refit and staffing costs and further demonise alcohol."

Spending on alcohol prevention, treatment and support services will increase by £85m to £120m over the next three years and the consultation paper examines ways to provide support to parents.

Ms Sturgeon said the plans were "not just about binge drinking or people who have a dependency on alcohol". She added: "All of us should look at how much we drink and make responsible decisions about that.

"We believe we have a duty to respond with proposals that reflect the scale of the problem."

The Herald