How the biggest boozers live in middle-class neighbourhoods
SCOTS in the wealthiest areas are far more likely to drink at ‘harmful’ levels than those in the poorest.
A snapshot of the nation’s health revealed the huge discrepancy in alcohol intake.
The Scottish Health Survey 2018, published yesterday, found 27 per cent in the least deprived areas drank at ‘hazardous or harmful’ levels of more than 14 units a week, compared with only 18 per cent of those in the most deprived.
People in the poorest areas were more likely to be non-drinkers – at 24 per cent – than those in the wealthiest, at only 12 per cent.
Long-term effects of harmful drinking include cancer, strokes, depression and dementia.
The figures come in the wake of a minimum unit pricing (MUP) policy aimed at slashing the affordability of alcohol.
The Scottish Government’s controversial MUP rules, introduced in May last year, brought in pricing of 50p per unit of alcohol. It was aimed at making the cheapest high-strength drinks such as own-brand spirits and white cider less affordable.
Critics said it would affect the poorest drinkers unfairly.
While harmful drinking has been at steady levels since 2013, the overall average amount of alcohol consumed weekly has dropped from 16.1 units in 2003 to 12.5 units last year.
Alison Douglas, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, said: ‘Although the percentage of people drinking above the low-risk guidelines is higher in more affluent areas, people in lower income groups who exceed the guidelines appear to drink more units.
‘This is particularly true for men who drink above the guidelines, with those in the lowest income group averaging 47 units per week compared with 32.5 units in the highest income group. This coupled with compounding health issues is why we see rates of alcohol-specific deaths and alcohol-related hospital stays eight times higher in our poorest areas than in our least deprived areas.’
The survey also found that smoking rates have flatlined at 19 per cent of adults.
There has been a 2 per cent increase in the number of young smokers aged between 16 and 24 and a 5 per cent rise in smokers from the poorest areas.
The survey, which polled 4,810 adults and 1,983 children, also found the lowest score for mental well-being recorded since 2008.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We’re working to change Scotland’s relationship with alcohol and we’re taking forward a range of actions, including our world-leading minimum unit pricing.’