Poorest ‘at risk’ from access to alcohol
THE poorest people in Scotland are the most at risk to easy access to alcohol regardless of how many shops are nearby, according to a new study.
Researchers at Glasgow and Edinburgh universities found that the country’s poorest people are disproportionately affected by easy access to booze in their neighbourhood.
The likelihood of those on the lowest incomes drinking too much increases in line with the availability of alcohol in their local area according to the new study.
And, by contrast, the amount of alcohol consumed by people on the highest incomes is far less affected by the number of outlets near their homes.
Researchers say it could happen for a number of reasons – including that low-income groups may spend more time in their local areas and be more reliant on these neighbourhoods.
A team from the two universities studied links between alcohol consumption and income.
They combined data on the density of alcohol outlets in town and cities across the country with details from a national health survey of more than 28,000 people.
The team’s findings suggest that attempts to reduce drinking which focus on consumer behaviour – such as warning labels on bottles and cans – are unlikely to make significant improvements to health.
Dr Niamh Shortt, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of GeoSciences, who led the study, says that more needs to be done to reduce alcohol-related harm.
She said: “Low-income groups suffer most from alcohol-related harm, and our research shows that they are also at the greatest risk from its ubiquitous availability in our neighbourhoods.
“Alongside price, we need to address the easy availability of alcohol.”