Letter: Binge answers

With another report focusing on changing price rules for the purchase of alcohol in Scotland to tackle ongoing alcohol related incidents (your report, 31 August), it never ceases to amaze me that the most obvious solution seems to be completely ignored.

Before punishing responsible drinkers by introducing some form of price rises for alcohol how about going back in time and ditching the 24-hour and late-night licences which are the real heart of the problem?

Shut the pubs at 11pm weekdays, midnight Saturday, and restrict the club hours to midnight during the week and 1am on Saturdays. We are not a hot holiday resort where all-night drinking can work.

Surely no one needs Scotland's long drinking hours which result in focusing too much police time on alcohol-related violence. Why not give this a try before hyping up prices?

With the forecast of a smaller police force possibly giving a huge boost to crime in the future, decisions on reducing the sale time of alcohol should be introduced now.

Iain J McConnell

Speedybank

Gifford, East Lothian