Bill Kidd, SNP MSP for the Glasgow Region, has welcomed the publication of the Alcohol Bill by the Scottish Government and expressed his disappointment at the response of opposition parties.

The Bill was published last week (on 26th November) and contains a number of radical measures to help reduce the £2.25 billion cost of alcohol misuse to Scotland’s public services and economy.

The rate of alcohol related deaths in the Glasgow parliamentary region is 295% of the UK average - the highest of any region in Scotland. Over 48,000 alcohol-related crimes were recorded in the Strathclyde Police region in 2008/2009, amounting to 27% of all crime for the region.

Commenting, Mr Kidd said: “Used sensibly, alcohol can be and is enjoyed by many and the alcohol industry is an important part of Glasgow’s economy, but the real dangers of alcohol abuse cannot be overlooked and Government action is essential.

“The statistics show that my constituents are almost three times more likely to die of alcohol-related causes then the UK average and more than one in every four crimes committed in the Strathclyde Police region has alcohol at its root.

“I am extremely disappointed at the closed-mindedness of Scotland’s opposition parties, with announcements that they will blindly oppose key elements of the Bill.

"By opposing minimum pricing even before the Health Committee has had the opportunity to listen to the evidence, opposition parties have dismissed out of hand the advice of all four UK Chief Medical Officers, the British Medical Association, the Royal Colleges of Nursing, Physicians, Surgeons and GPs, Faculty of Public Health, British Liver Trust, Scottish Licensed Trade Association, the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland and many others who are serious about dealing with alcohol misuse.

"No one has ever said that minimum pricing is the only tool in the box for tackling the problems of alcohol abuse but all the expert opinion agrees that it can have a major impact as part of our wider package of measures."

Notes:

1. The Bill’s key proposals include:

• A minimum price per unit of alcohol to raise the cost of the cheapest ciders, lagers and low-grade spirits favoured by problem drinkers
• A ban on irresponsible off-sales promotions which encourage excessive drinking ·       A duty on licensing boards to consider raising the off-sales purchase age to 21 where appropriate to develop local solutions to local problems
• A power to introduce a 'social responsibility fee' on some retailers to offset the costs of dealing with drink problems
  

For more information, please see here.

2. Table 1. Alcohol-related death rates by Scottish parliamentary constituency, as a percentage of the overall UK average rate 2008:

Source: General Registry Office Scotland. Alcohol death rates in tables 1 and 2 are expressed as a percentage of UK average rates. Less than 100 = under UK average, Greater that 100 = over UK average.

Scottish Parliament Constituency        % of  UK average
Glasgow Anniesland      105 Glasgow Baillieston     331
Glasgow Cathcart        292
Glasgow Govan   289
Glasgow Kelvin  221
Glasgow Maryhill        420
Glasgow Pollock 249
Glasgow Rutherglen      238
Glasgow Shettleston     574
Glasgow Springburn      333

2. Alcohol Related Crime in Scotland by Police Board

At least 27% of crime in Scotland is thought to be alcohol related. Based on this estimate, and using the official Recorded Crime in Scotland 2008/09 figures, below are estimates for alcohol related crime by police board.

                          Strathclyde     Central
Alcohol related crime   179254  377433
Total crime     48399   101907

For further information, please see here.