Scotland must disrupt alcohol dependency

The tradition is that problems with alcohol are viewed as a male problem but we are seeing women catching up very rapidly in terms of how much they are drinking.

The group that are really concerning are those that were drinking at hazardous levels prior to the pandemic. It appears they have increased their drinking even further. We reckon that’s about a quarter of all drinkers.

One thing that was striking during the pandemic was that the government put off licences into the same category as pharmacies and made them an essential service to ensure continued supply.

The problem Scotland has with drug deaths is important but should not overshadow the problem the country has with deaths and hospitalisations from alcohol.

There are issues in terms of advanced liver disease and domestic violence. The problem is that alcohol is part of the culture.

The culture is so embedded with alcohol that the solution will require more than policy.

You are looking for a complete disrupter – to decouple the relationship we have from birth to death with alcohol.

Associate professor Ian Hamilton is senior lecturer in addiction and mental health at York University