Scottish Government's plans to restrict alcohol advertising risk doing more harm than good – Scotsman comment

It is undoubtedly true that Scotland has a drink problem.

In 2020, enough alcohol was sold to enable everyone over the age of 16 to drink 18 units every week, while the recommended limit is just 14. It is a habit that claims the lives of 24 people a week.

However, such a serious issue requires an equally serious solution, not one that will inadvertently add fresh woes to life in Scotland. The Scottish Government’s consultation paper on restricting alcohol advertising and promotion contains a string of measures that, if implemented, may have little impact on the problem, while causing serious damage to the economy.

In an open letter about the proposals, more than 100 drinks industry firms appealed to the Scottish Government not to “destroy Scotland’s drinks industry”, while the Scottish Tourism Alliance warned a blanket advertising ban would be an act of “economic self-harm” on a par with Brexit.

That is why, today, The Scotsman begins a series investigating Scotland's relationship with drink, to better understand the problem and, we hope, inspire better solutions.

The consultation paper is undoubtedly well-intentioned, but The Scotsman remains unconvinced by many of its arguments or that a sufficient range of expert advice has been sought. Judging by its tone, we are concerned it could result in heavy-handed, ill-considered policies. The facile remark that “alcohol products in each beverage sub-sector are essentially variations of the same thing” suggests an alarming degree of contempt for the industry.

This is shaping up to be a repeat of the deposit return scheme for drinks cans and bottles, which now looks set to be at least delayed, despite considerable costs already incurred by the drinks industry, because of a lack of planning. The fact that a few months away from its launch it is not known whether the scheme complies with UK law is an outrage.

While the drinks industry clearly still has work to do to face up to alcohol-related health problems, simply brushing aside its concerns and ploughing ahead regardless is unacceptable, particularly given the fragile state of Scotland's economy. And, perhaps worse, wasting time on poorly thought-out ideas that may do little to help the situation means that Scotland will remain a nation with a drink problem, with all the grief and suffering that entails, for years to come.