TELT Magazine

abuse. One that is sadly
all too familiar all across
Scotland.
My parents took advantage
of being able to purchase
cheap beer, cider and
vodka over the course of my
childhood.
This led to erratic, excessive
drinking that was possible
at any time of the day.
Drinking that would lead to
fierce arguing, bitterness
and violent outbursts of
anger; a vicious cycle.
By the time l was 14 years
old, l had watched alcohol
tear my family apart, gone
under the supervision of
social work and permanent
separation from my parents.
Amongst problem-drinkers
in society, the affordability
of alcohol is a major factor
for those who regularly
exceed health guidelines.
There were 1,265 alcohol
related deaths in Scotland in
2016 (National Records of
Scotland).
Scotland has always found
itself in an odd love-hate
relationship with alcohol.
Many drink responsibly and
are able to rightfully enjoy it
with others.
Furthermore, it is a key part
of the national economy.
In terms of exports, it is
the food and drink sector
that continues to reign
supreme. It is a sector that
is dominated by our whisky
exports.
Scottish Government statists
show that out of the £4.8bn
that Scotland generated from
exported goods in 2015,
£3.8bn of it was down to
exports of whisky.
Whilst this is positive, drink
has posed a formidable
challenge to the state of
public health in Scotland for
decades. It is a challenge that
has been debated, ingrained
and even parodied in our
society.
There has been no shortage
of ways devised to tackle
the issue. Better education
about the dangers of
drinking beyond excess,
tougher laws such as
lower drink-drive limits
and scrapping multi-buy
promotional deals have all
gone towards fixing the
problem.
One measure which has
been long discussed is
setting a minimum price on
units of alcohol. That would
essentially result in a price
hike on the most affordable
types of drink that you can
purchase.
Earlier this week, the UK
Supreme Court rejected
a challenge by the Scotch
Whiskey Association that
opposed the introduction of
minimum alcohol pricing.
This means that in early
2018, Scotland will become
the first country in the world
to implement a minimum
pricing policy. The hope
is that it will be more
effective than simply taxing,
by specifically targeting
beverages that the heaviest
drinkers most frequently
purchase.
It is a measure that was
proposed and then later
dropped by the UK
Government in 2012, and
may yet become an issue
in England again in light
of this week’s ruling. Both
the National Assemblies
of Wales and Northern
Ireland are also considering
implementation.
Photography by Patrick Dalziel
Last year, NHS Scotland
found that sales of alcohol
in Scotland were 20%
higher than in England and
Wales. The study found
a correlation between the
sales of cheap alcohol in offlicences,
especially spirits,
and the higher percentage in
Scotland.
The Scotch Whiskey
Association, which opposed
minimum pricing for five
years, were of the view that
it would not stop the most
serious drinkers drinking
and that it was a threat to
trade.
Minimum pricing is a move
to challenge the binge
TELT: Winter Edition 23