Bill Jamieson: Scotland must learn to drink responsibly

It is heartening to read that sales of alcohol in Scotland appear to be on the decline. According to NHS Health Scotland, we bought less alcohol last year than in any year since records began in the early 1990s, writes Bill Jamieson.

Responsible drinking is fine but Scotland still has a problem (Picture: Phil Wilkinson)

The introduction of minimum pricing per unit of alcohol in May last year is cited as a factor. But it is too early to arrive at a firm conclusion: that may take five years or more. Nothing would be more disheartening than a recovery in alcohol sales once the initial impact of higher prices had started to fade.

Behavioural changes may also be helping – fewer office and professional workers drink as heavily at lunchtime. And there is a notable shift towards healthier lifestyles and well-being. The number of total abstainers is on the rise.

Yet there is still a mountain to climb. Alcohol continues to be a leading cause of illness and early death in Scotland, with an average of 22 people dying of alcohol-related illness every week.

And it is a significant public health issue with people in Scotland’s poorest areas. Alcohol-specific death rates were consistently higher in Scotland than in England and Wales.

In 2017, rates were twice as high in men and 55 per cent higher in women. In the most deprived areas, rates of alcohol-specific death were more than seven times higher than in the least deprived.

For any progress to be made here, the need for education on the dangers of excessive consumption is as great as ever. Schools are in the front line of this battle.

But there is as great a need for everyone to take care, to live responsibly – and to set an example.