Adults in Scotland drink almost 20 units a week

[GerritT]

"More than 10 litres of pure alcohol was drunk last year for every adult in Scotland, a report on the nation's drinking has revealed.

The amount of drink sold was the equivalent to each adult drinking 19.6 units a week, NHS Health Scotland said.

The UK recommended limit is 14 units a week for men and women.

Lucie Giles, lead author of the report, said the research highlighted that alcohol was still a "significant public health concern".

Almost half (47%) of alcohol sold in shops and supermarkets last year cost less than 50p per unit - the new minimum unit price for drink which was brought in by the Scottish government in May.

Public Health Minister Aileen Campbell said: "Our world-leading minimum unit pricing policy now ensures no alcohol can be sold below 50p per unit. I am confident minimum unit pricing will make a significant difference to the harms shown in this report.

"Those that drink most heavily and live in deprived areas experience the greatest levels of harm, and they will benefit most from minimum unit pricing.""

My brother says: "Charge more for alcohol and they will buy less fruit."

Your thoughts? Only rich(er) people should be afford to drink? Taxes should be pumped back into supporting the most affected areas?

 

[simon12]

On the positive side it would help pubs by making supermarket prices higher and may drive people to home brew. On the down side it will impoverish alcohols more but maybe a small help to quit but could drive some to drugs or industrial alcohol. Its unlikely steep enough to create a black market in illegal brews but its also possible. I have no idea if it has had any of these consequences.

 

[Gunge]

Pah that's nuthin'... my missus sups that every night and has done for years. Fit as a fiddle and still the best looking burd ever.

 

[Honk]

It's true, I went on holiday to Scotland recently and did drink more than 20 units in a week.

 

[Oneflewover]

I don't know what the answer is, but I don't think it is minimum pricing. The group that the Minister refers to as potentially benefitting most are likely to benefit little in my view unless it is aligned with coordinated effort to address the other factors associated with deprivation.

 

[divrack]

you may take our wives...
eh, aye.. forgot what ah was sayin..
oh aye that's it, you can take our wives.
wait what was the question?

 

[divrack]

alcoholism is a problem sure, but turning life into a bunch of units and daily allowances is a sorry insult to the marvelous splendor of existence in my opinion. and the kind of people that think the answers to societies problems are to tax individuals for doing what they enjoy are a big part of societies problem.
but it's easier to just say Tax! than, say, address the causes of lonliness and depression in society that is often the reason people harm themselves with drink and other drugs. maybe create a society not built around the essential logic of trapped rats as a guiding principle and we might make progress.
divrack, King Rat.

 

[Gunge]

Where do they get all this 'safe units' cobblers from? When I was a nipper in the late 60s / early 70s it seemed that everyone in my world was a crazed alcoholic and smoked a million cigs a day... don't know of any who had an untimely demise because of it. Same with food - everything you buy these days has detailed nutrition info / traffic light warnings for fat, salt etc. None of that crap back in the day, everything we ate came from the corner shop ( a staple diet of chips,lard,cheese,bacon... what's veg and fibre?? ) and would give today's nutritionists the heart attack that we never had. Stop pestering us and enjoy your tofu, quorn burgers and nut cutlets, weirdos.

 

[Clint]

Rab Nesbit and his mates swill most of it. Seriously though...what a loada shyte..people will put food back on the shelf and get the booze instead...and nip over into England to get it by the van load..and people will have trucks full of hooky gear for sale...sounds like a plan..booze hypermarket just outside gretna green..
Heard the one about the Scottish red Indian...hawk eye the noo....

 

[Gunge]

Pah that's nuthin'... my missus sups that every night and has done for years. Fit as a fiddle and still the best looking burd ever.

Furthermore.... we recently changed doctors cos it took forever to get an appointment. As part of that we had to have a general health screening so's the new doc has an idea of what he's dealing with. Her liver function test came back absolutely normal. Mine however, came back shot. Gaahh!

 

[GerritT]

People close to the Channel indeed have the Belgium way out, but Scotland has less options. A lot of good arguments here :thumb: