Experts urge rest of UK to copy Scotland over alcohol
Health experts have called on countries across Europe to follow Scotland’s lead in introducing alcohol minimum pricing as they recommended daily consumption levels equivalent to less than a small bottle of beer.
Specialists from the World Health Organisation (WHO), meeting in Edinburgh, said while it was too early to gauge the impact of minimum pricing in Scotland, it had “significantly” reduced alcoholrelated harm after being introduced in Russia in 2010. An Eu-funded project carried out by the WHO has found while there have been decreases in heavy episodic drinking and drink-related deaths across 30 European countries between 2010 and 2016, there had been no significant changes in overall alcohol consumption.
The experts say cancer is the cause of almost one third of all alcohol-attributable deaths.
Dr Jürgen Rehm, a Canadabased adviser to the WHO, said: “Very clearly, minimum unit pricing is going to have a significant impact. The countries that have implemented that have had pretty great success. Unfortunately, there’s not that many countries which have done so. Overall there are six countries [in the world] where we have minimum unit pricing. The data is mainly coming from Russia and Canada and it has been quite successful.”
Introduced in Scotland earlier this year, the 50p-per-unit minimum seeks to reduce alcohol harm by making cheap drink more expensive. While the WHO has not
0 One unit of alcohol a day is one expert’s recommendation
issued specific guidelines, Dr Rehm said he would recommend people drink no more than one unit a day – less than the amount typically found in a 330ml bottle of beer. And
he said governments could encourage bars and restaurants to offer smaller glasses.
He said: “One unit a day – 8 grams of alcohol. That’s low risk.
“In a lot of countries, a glass of wine is 10cl. I must say I was surprised that I ordered a glass of wine in a restaurant in Edinburgh and it was 250ml – I had to give some back.”
Dr João Breda, head of WHO’S European office for the Prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases, said: “We don’t have an ideological position. We are evidence based and science drives our advice to member states.
“We understand national context and not all countries can take the same decisions at the same time. But the current evidence tells us that using price is a very strong and very important [form of ] ammunition and should be considered by all countries.”
Public health minister Joe Fitzpatrick said: “Scotland is leading the world with the introduction of minimum unit pricing – a bold and innovative solution to the public health challenges associated with alcohol that will save lives, recognising that an unhealthy relationship with alcohol is a public health issue.
“The backing of WHO is very welcome and our own research shows there is wide public support for the policy.” Hundreds of Scottish Parliament staff have just learned they will lose out on advanced Christmas pay this year – due to the rollout of Universal Credit.
Normally the 1,400 staff are paid on 22 December to help with the financial demands in the run-up to Christmas. But an email sent to employees from the Scottish Parliament’s chief executive office announcing they will now be paid on 28 December.
The email reads: “In previous years, you were paid before Christmas, leaving an extended period between the December and January pay dates.
“The SPCB has decided that from this year December salaries will be paid on the second last working day of the month. This will standardise the length of time between salary payments throughout the year.”
A roll-out of the Universal Credit scheme has prompted the decision by the Scottish Parliament.
The introduction of the replacement benefits scheme could create a scenario whereby anyone making a claim during December could lose some – or all – of their Universal Credit for December as two salary payments for November and December could fall within their assessment period.