Think again on drink pricing and save lives, expert urges MSPs

Published on Wednesday 2 December 2009 21:51

FAILURE to take action on alcohol misuse – including not introducing minimum pricing – will lead to more lives being lost, a leading doctor will warn today.

Professor Ian Gilmore, the president of the Royal College of Physicians, will tell an event in Aberdeen there is "compelling evidence" that price is linked to alcohol use and harm.

And he will urge politicians to back measures to reduce the burden of alcohol misuse.

Prof Gilmore's comments come after Scottish Labour said it would not back SNP plans to introduce a minimum price per unit as part of its Alcohol Bill. It means the SNP will not have enough support to pass the legislation.

Prof Gilmore will address the Aberdeen Medico-Chirurgical Society in a lecture entitled Alcohol – a plague of epidemic proportions in Scotland and beyond. Speaking ahead of the event, he said: "There is now compelling scientific evidence that clearly shows the strong link between alcohol consumption, pricing and harm. The sensible and effective policy measures set out in the Scottish Government's alcohol strategy, in particular minimum pricing, reflect this and show how it could be an international leader in efforts to protect public health."

He added: "Politicians cannot continue to ignore the weight of this evidence and stand by while the damage caused by cheap alcohol affects our children, our relationships, our jobs and our communities. Failure to take action now will result in ongoing damage to children and families and more lives lost."

He said MSPs had a duty to support the bill for the health and safety of their constituents. He also said that minimum pricing should be introduced UK-wide.

Evelyn Gillan, from Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems, backed his comments. She said: "All credible medical and scientific authorities have supported minimum pricing. It makes Labour's position look indefensible."

Labour public health spokesman Richard Simpson said: "The SNP's proposals for minimum pricing are untested and possibly illegal, but Scottish Labour accepts that if we are to deal with alcohol abuse the key factors we need to tackle are availability and prices."

Dr Simpson said Labour had set up a commission to consider measures to tackle alcohol misuse.

Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: "While we have never claimed minimum pricing is a silver bullet, there is general agreement that it can be a key weapon to tackle alcohol misuse.

"We welcome the support of such an eminent authority as Prof Gilmore and hope MSPs of all parties will have the courage to do the right thing for Scotland's health."