Government ‘must increase alcohol pricing in Scotland’

The government has been called upon to increase the cost of alcohol in Scotland in order to address the numerous health implications of alcohol misuse in the country.

Charity organisation Alcohol Focus Scotland said it is "astonishing" that there is resistance to the idea of tackling the availability of cheap spirits, despite numerous reports on the negative implications of the trend.

This comes in response to a new survey by the Core Cities Health Improvement Collaborative which shows that an adult Scottish female can drink more than her daily recommended alcohol allowance for as little as 30p.

Barbara O'Donnell, director of services at Alcohol Focus Scotland, said NHS workers, health professionals and charity bodies are in agreement that low alcohol prices are a serious problem.

She said that taxation and minimum pricing for alcoholic drinks must be increased in order to address an issue that is "harming millions of lives".

"There may be no 'silver bullet' to tackle the problem of alcohol misuse – however, the link between price and consumption should move the government to take action," Ms O'Donnell explained.