Weekly Alcohol headlines including - Tennents backs minimum pricing

29/01/2010

Tennant's backs alcohol price bid

Drinks giant Tennent's has backed the Scottish Government's plan for a minimum alcohol price. The firm's managing director, Mike Lees, said that the measure can be part of the solution to Scotland's £3.56 billion problem with alcohol. The Scottish Government said the Tennent's support showed that responsible drinks firms have "nothing to fear" from the proposal. Mr Lees said: "Tennent's has a strong commitment to Scotland and welcomes sensible moves to ensure alcohol is enjoyed appropriately. We recognise there is an issue of over-consumption of alcohol among a minority of consumers and acknowledge the Scottish Government is working to try and combat the problem. We believe that, if implemented appropriately, minimum pricing could be part of the solution by increasing the price of alcohol, particularly of high-strength products".

Calls for reduction in drink-drive limit

Four out of five Scots back a cut in the drink-drive limit, a survey commissioned by the Government has revealed. Pollsters questioned more than 1000 people and found 79% want to see the current drink-drive limit reduced from 80mg per 100ml of blood to 50mg. Police made 490 arrests, and confiscated four cars over the festive period despite a fall in the figures for the crime over the past two years. Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill renewed SNP calls for the UK Government to transfer power to Scotland in this area to allow him to take action. Chief Superintendant Brian Anderson of Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary, head of drink driving issues for the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, said research indicates that 65 lives a year could be saved as a result of reducing the limit to 50mg, with 230 serious injuries avoided.

MEP asks Brussels to put ban on Buckfast

The notorious Buckfast tonic wine blamed for much of Scotland's alcohol fuelled violence could be banned by the European Union. Scots Labour MEP Catherine Stihler has called on the EU consumer protection committee to ban caffeinated alcoholic drinks she claims are linked to health and crime problems. Buckfast contains as much caffeine as eight cans of Cola and police chiefs have linked the fortified wine to more than 5,000 crimes in just one area north of the border. Scientists say Buckfast's high caffeine content may inflame violent behaviour but Justice Secretary Kenny
MacAskill last week denied any evidence of this. Jim Wilson, of Buckfast distributor JC Chandler, said: "Our product has been around for 80 years. There is no evidence to support Mrs Stihler's claims and we have had any complaints about the safety of Buckfast."

500 kids a year kicked out of school for drink and drugs

Schools kicked more than 500 pupils out of the classroom last year because of drink and drugs incidents. More of the youngsters were excluded for using drugs than for boozing - 286 children compared with 216. North Lanarkshire had the highest figures with 24 exclusions for alcohol misuse and 50 for drugs. The Scottish Government said they had undertaken a number of measures to tackle alcohol and drugs misuse in schools. These included funding a Positive Behaviour Team who works with local authorities and schools to promote improving pupil behaviour. Official figures will be published this week showing the total number of exclusions in schools in 2008-09. There were 39,717 exclusions in 2007-08.