Drink pricing

Lesley Riddoch is one of my favourite journalists, but her recent column on minimum pricing (22 March) contained several inaccuracies and fell well below her normal standards.

As a former justice minister, GP and psychiatrist dealing specifically with alcohol and other substance addiction, I fully recognise the costs of excessive drinking. However, throughout my career, the old adage that "if something seems too good to be true it usually is" has also served me well.

One myth peddled by many people earning good incomes is that minimum unit pricing is progressive. It is difficult to imagine a more regressive policy than one which puts at least 90 million per year extra into the pockets of big supermarkets at the expense of pensioners and those on the lowest incomes.

Nicola Sturgeon recently confirmed that the percentage of those drinking excessively is greater the higher the income. The 18–24 age group has the greatest percentage of hazardous drinkers. Minimum pricing is predicted to have the least effect on them.

It is ironic that she should accuse Labour of insincerity when it is the SNP which adamantly refuses to share reports to ministers on the legal advice or to name its preferred minimum price.

Lesley Riddoch might do better to press the SNP on this – and the many other issues I have raised which don't even require legislation.

We will tackle Scotland's alcohol problem but not with a policy that is untried, untested and possibly illegal.

DR RICHARD SIMPSON MSP

Holyrood

Edinburgh