Maintain pressure on reforms to protect NHSExperts call for minimum alcohol prices in Scotland
Minimum prices for alcohol could be introduced in Scotland in a bid to improve public health, a conference heard.
Speaking at yesterday’s Alcohol Summit in Edinburgh, Scotland’s health secretary Nicola Sturgeon called for ‘radical action’ to crack down on alcohol misuse.
‘This government believes the time has come for radical action to cut the £2.25bn cost of alcohol misuse to Scotland.
‘But we’re under no illusions that we have to take people with us and that included the whole political spectrum, the alcohol industry and retailers.’
Dr Peter Anderson, a consultant to the World Health Organization, added: ‘Internationally, Scotland is seen as a public health world leader. You had the courage to introduce smoke free pubs – let us hope that you have the same courage to introduce a minimum price for alcohol.’
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Readers' comments (1)
Doug Langdon | 24-Jun-2009 9:28 am
I am not aware of the logic behind the call by experts for a minimum price for alcohol, but it does seem to me that they may be leading us into a false sense of security.
In my experience, people who drink more alcohol than they should are not doing it because it is cheap. If the prices were increased to a level that they couldn't afford there is an increased chance that they will steal it, especilly in areas of deprivation.
Education about the long term effects of alcohol and substance abuse should be increased in schools and community projects.
This could be funded by a scheme where the people who are admitted to hospital for medical and nursing care are charged when the reason for their admission is related to their abuse of alcohol. I appreciate that this may be difficult where people are involved in incidents where there is more than one person, but if someone gets drunk and either falls over injuring themselves or ges alcoholic poisoning and are admitted to hospital, then the NHS authority should have the right to make a nominal charged for their services. Drivers involved in accidents are charged for ambulance services, regardless of who is at fault for the collision.
Why should people who drink alcohol responsibly, be penalised for those who abuse it and their bodies?
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