The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Off-sales curbs to tackle booze woes
FiFe: Alcohol estimated to cost region £130 million each year
The shock cost of boozing across Fife could result in a blanket ban on new off-sales.
A stark report has revealed alcohol costs the region £130 million a year, with 71,000 adults regularly drinking more than recommended limits.
This has led to soaring hospital admissions, an increase in deaths and half of police time now being spent dealing with drunken incidents.
With most people drinking at home rather than in pubs, research has found more harm is caused in areas where there are high numbers of off-sales.
Experts have recommended the restriction of further off-sales licences in Cowdenbeath and Levenmouth where there is already “substantial evidence” of alcohol-related harm.
Fife Licensing Board should also consider a complete ban on new off-sales across the whole of Fife, they said.
The granting of new off-sale licences could be banned across Fife amid revelations alcohol costs the region £130 million a year.
Shocking new figures have revealed 71,000 adults across the kingdom are regularly drinking more than recommended limits every week, leading to soaring rates of alcoholrelated hospital admissions and an increase in deaths.
More than half of police time is spent dealing with incidents involving drunk people.
With 70% of people drinking at home rather than in pubs and restaurants, the role of off-sales has been closely looked at.
The highest rates of harm are being caused in Fife’s most deprived areas, Cowdenbeath and Levenmouth, which also have the highest number of off-sales premises.
Experts from NHS Fife, Fife Council and Fife Alcohol and Drug Partnership have produced a report citing “clear evidence” of a link between deprivation and alcohol-related harm.
In it, they say: “There is an association in Fife between high levels of provision and high levels of harm and inequalities.”
The report recommends further offsales licences should be restricted in the two places, where there is already “substantial evidence” of alcohol-related harm.
The authors have also recommended the consideration of a complete ban on any further off-sales licences across the whole of Fife to stop those affected going to neighbouring areas to buy drink.
The report will go to Fife Licensing Board, which is due to publish a new licensing policy by November.
Fife has 1,069 licensed premises – 36 for every 10,000 adults.
In 2016-17, there were 666 alcoholrelated A&E attendances, 10% of which involved children aged 15 or under.
During the same period, alcohol accounted for 2,344 hospital admissions, 30% more than 10 years ago.
The report adds: “Alcohol-related harm is estimated to cost the Scottish economy £3.6 billion a year. Estimates for Fife give a figure of £130m.
“Research provides evidence that offsales make a greater contribution to alcohol-related harm due to alcohol being, in general, cheaper in off-sales than on-sales.
“And there is no control over the quantity of off-sales consumed compared to on-sales, where the quantity is supervised.”
“Research provides evidence that off-sales make a greater contribution to alcoholrelated harm due to alcohol being, in general, cheaper in off-sales than on-sales