Minimum alcohol pricing policy backed by top medics

Published on Monday 22 June 2009 11:49

Ministers today claimed growing support for setting a minimum price for alcohol as part of Scotland's battle with the bottle.

Dr Harry Burns, the country's chief medical officer, said the policy would bring immediate results, saving lives within a year.

And a spokesman for Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said minimum pricing was backed by all four of Britain's chief medical officers, as well as the police and the licensed trade association.

The claims came ahead of an alcohol summit in Edinburgh today attended by more than 100 delegates from political parties, the NHS, the alcohol industry and retailers.

"As with the smoking ban, Scotland is once again leading the way," said the spokesman.

"Ministers want to have the fullest possible dialogue as we bring our proposals forward to Parliament."

Alcohol advertising near schools would be banned under proposals which Labour will take to the meeting, and the Liberal Democrats want "alcohol referral schemes" in which under-18s picked up under the influence, or trying to buy drink, are referred to an alcohol health worker.

Ahead of the summit, Ms Sturgeon insisted the Scottish Government was "determined" to press ahead with plans to stop drink being sold for pocket-money prices.

A minimum drink price was one of the main elements of a Scottish Government proposals announced earlier this year to tackle an alcohol problem costing Scotland more than 2 billion a year.

A figure of 40p per unit of alcohol has been widely speculated, making the minimum price of a 13% bottle of wine 3.90.

"We have to persuade others, as as we do on any other policy," said Ms Sturgeon.

"A minority government has to get at least one other party to back us.

"I am determined to do that."

Dr Burns told Scotland on Sunday: "I am convinced we will see an impact within the first year. There would be people alive at the end of it who would have been dead without the policy.

"I am convinced the problem is serious enough that we should do it."