THE BOOZE-FREE DRINKS RIP-OFF
A shocking 29 per cent of children are dangerously overweight, accordingg to official figures.
And Al ison Johnstone believes part of the blame lies in a lack of investment in running tracks, swimming pools, parks and cycle lanes.
The Scottish Greens MSPP and former east of Scotlandd 800m and 1500m champ said:d: “I got involved in politics tryingg to save a school playing fieldsds in Edinburgh – we lost andnd now many of those f ields are covered in luxury flats.
“The space that was retained for sports is behind a huge fence and you need to phone to book to use it.
“There are similar examples of this across the country, as well as budgets for leisure facilities being cut.
“Where facilities are available, they can be prohibitively expensive for families. When you lose pockets of green, it all adds up – and before you know it, people don’t have anywhere to go and run or to do things like flying a kite with their children.
“Some schools now can’t get access to enough pitches.
“In Edinburgh, Meadowbank Shoppers are pay ing through the nose for boozefree drinks that can cost more than three times as much as the hard stuff.
Sales of non- alcoholic beer have surged 64 per cent in a year, while spirit drinkers can also opt for a healthier alternative for the first time. But a probe found drinks makers are cashing in on the soaring demand by charging more.
As a bonus, no excise duty is payable on anything that contains less than 0.5 per cent alcohol. Tesco sell 20 bottles of Budweiser for £10, or £1.67 per litre. But alcohol-free Bud Prohibition is £2.28.
Superma rket s sel l Spanish wine Tempranillo for £ 5.20 a litre. But the Alcohol-Free Shop sells a no- booze version of the same wine for £17.32 a litre.
The Light Drinks website offers Spanish cider for £ 3.90 a litre but Strongbow works out at £2.85.
Alcohol Research UK welcomed the rise in quality of booze- free drinks but called for lower prices. “So instead of putting all the responsibility on individuals, firms and supermarkets should become more healthy places to shop. “We’d also like to see an end to unhealthy food