Scots exceeding alcohol safety limits by 44%

● New warning over nation’s drink problem as scale of sales is revealed

Enough alcohol is bought in Scotland weekly for every person in the country to exceed the drinking guidelines substantially, according to the latest NHS Health Scotland report.

The report found that last year 10.5 litres of pure alcohol were sold weekly per adult in Scotland, equivalent to 20.2 units for every individual.

The UK Chief Medical Officers’ low risk alcohol guidelines advise against anyone drinking more than 14 units a week on a regular basis – so Scottish drinkers are exceeding the safety limits by 44 per cent every week in a year.

The report, Monitoring and Evaluating Scotland’s Alcohol Strategy 2017 brings together data on alcohol sales, price and affordability, self-reported alcohol consumption and alcohol-related deaths, hospital of pure alcohol were sold per adult in Scotland, equivalent to 20.2 units per adult per week. people died in Scotland in 2015 due to an alcohol-related cause, an average of 22 people per week. higher than in England & Wales. Alcoholrelated death rates are currently 47% higher than in 1981. age group of highest number of alcoholrelated death and alcohol-related hospital stays higher adult sales in Scotland than in England and Wales of adults in Scotland in 2015 exceeded the revised low-risk weekly drinking guideline admissions and social harms. Leading alcohol charities were quick to call for further action to address the nation’s drink problem.

Alison Douglas, chief execu- tive of Alcohol Focus Scotland said: “It’s clear we need further action to change Scotland’s relationship with alcohol. One million Scots are regularly drinking too much; putting themselves at increased risk of liver disease, cancer, stroke and mental health problems.”

The lead author of the report, Lucie Giles, public health intelligence adviser, said that it was “worrying” that Scots buy enough alcohol for every person to exceed the safety limits.

Labour MSP Monica Lennon, said: “We know that life choices and life chances are

ALISON DOUGLAS being impacted by austerity and cuts – the SNP has chosen to cut Alcohol and Drugs Partnership funding and to slash local budgets by £1.5 billion since 2011.

“Meanwhile public health experts in the NHS tell us that interventions that redistribute income, such as increasing the standard rate of income tax or implementation of a Living Wage, are among the most effective interventions for reducing inequalities and improving health.

“The SNP must review the recommendations of this report.”