Oblivion pandemic

I have always been underwhelmed by the benefits of Holyrood’s Minimum Unit Pricing policy. Dr Alastair Macgilchrist (Letters, 16 February) cites a paper in the “respected” medical journal The Lancet last year as having confirmed the policy has saved lives. Whist I think it important for the public to be fully aware that the quality of medical research literature is increasingly being scrutiised and found wanting as never before due to Big Pharma capture and other vested interests, if it is good enough for Dr Macgilchrist in this instance, a faithful and tireless careerlong servant of the sick and despairing alcohol casualty and his/ her family then it should be good enough for all of us.

It is of the utmost importance, however, that he underlines that MUP aims to prevent in a small way the transition from “heavy drinking” to the full-blown dependence syndrome of spiritual, social, psychological and physical suffering. Once this line has been crossed MUP is of zero effect, as indeed are the any attempts by medical doctors to establish enduring sobriety – leaving them the task only of transplanting livers or simply palliating multi-organ damage. I make this assertion from observing poor patients I have tried to help over the years and a decade, several decades ago, when I did some exhaustive personal research of the topic! There is always hope but it is not found in the domain of medical science. I feel sure Dr Macgilchrist would agree.

What is it about the psychosocial milieu of post-modern Scotland that drives so many young and old into the oblivion marketplace whatever the MUP of their drug of choice? 40 years of debt, austerity and a so called“meritocracy” has surely contributed, witht rans-generational existential despair at both poles of the increasing inequality that exists.

The roots of the oblivion pandemic will not tackled by MUP but with a new generation of radical politicians and leaders with a burning imperative to establish the commonweal of the nation as the driver of eco