Dundee SNP

The SNP Candidate for Dundee West in the forthcoming General Election, Councillor Jim Barrie, Social Work & Health Convenor at Dundee Council, has welcomed the support of  The Royal College of Nursing for minimum pricing for alcohol as the consensus in favour of the measure in the Scottish Government’s Alcohol Bill grows day by day.

RCN Scotland, which has 38,000 members in Scotland is lobbying in support of the Scottish Government’s proposed radical legislation on alcohol which would change the way in which alcohol is sold and introduce minimum pricing controls.

Jim Barrie said: “The RCN in Scotland has over 38,000 members and are major influencers on the health debate in Scotland and I am delighted that they have joined the overwhelming consensus building in support of the Scottish Government’s policy.

“The entire medical profession, the police, the licensed trade – even the all-party Health Select Committee at Westminster are in favour of the measure, yet Labour, the Lib Dems and Tories in Scotland continue to block it.

“Recently, a Dundee-based Labour MSP while agreeing that the problems of alcohol abuse were extremely serious, in fact, ‘bigger than the original official figures indicate’ demanded action to tackle the problem, then suggested education was the solution.

“The problem is acute precisely because education alone has failed over several decades to change behaviour. Frankly, it is for Labour, Lib Dem and Tory politicians to explain why they are at odds with expert medical opinion and the overwhelming majority of those professional bodies who advocate minimum pricing as a bold measure that will help to tackle the massive impact of alcohol abuse.”

Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick is taking action on behalf of constituents who took their young family to a cinema during Christmas and were appalled at the quantity and content of the alcohol commercials shown during their visit.

Joe said: “The Scottish Government made a commitment in its Alcohol Bill published last year to reduce the impact of alcohol advertising and is taking a wide range of actions to tackle alcohol misuse and promote a culture of sensible and responsible drinking, but it won’t be able to curb alcohol advertising in cinemas until the UK Government legislates.

“The Scottish Government does not have powers to regulate broadcast advertising so the Scottish Public Health Minister cannot do any more than urge the UK Government to develop a UK approach to cinema advertising which protects children.

“Recent studies by the University of Sheffield and by the European Alcohol and Health Forum indicate consistent evidence of advertising having an effect on young people’s drinking.

“In their reply to me, the Cinema Advertising Association admitted that ‘in 2008, 13% of the audience who saw alcohol commercials in the cinema were under 18. They also admit the proportion of alcohol commercials rises around the Christmas period but claim it never exceeds 40 % of the adverts shown. But this does not include advertisements for a cinema’s own products, nor does it include trailers for forthcoming films – where there could be more alcohol products shown.

“So there are grounds for concern. Firstly, the code about alcohol adverts is dependent on a panel, made up of advertisers and it relies on individual cinemas’ ‘self-imposed rule’ of how many adverts shown will be for alcohol.

“Both the Scottish and UK Governments are trying to tackle our legacy of serious alcohol misuse, and frankly, alcohol advertising in cinemas is an area that seems to me ripe for review and possible new legislation to better influence the drinking habits of the next generation. I will be taking the issue further.”

Shona discusses the policy with Jonathan Stewart at The Royal Arch

Dundee East MSP Shona Robison today welcomed the support of well-known local hotelier and publican Jonathan Stewart, Past President of the Dundee Licensed Trade Association, who met the MSP  to voice his support for the minimum pricing per unit of alcohol - one of the measures in the Scottish Government’s Alcohol Bill which was introduced last year and which will be voted on later in the year.

Mr Stewart, who has been a public house licensee and hotelier in Dundee for over 35 years, wanted to pass on his support for this specific measure and also to outline other suggestions on alcohol misuse which Shona will pass on to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing.

The cost of alcohol misuse to Scotland’s economy and public services in £2.25 billion each year, with 3,000 deaths, 42,000 hospital stays and 110,000 GP visits directly linked to alcohol. At the same time, alcohol is 70% more affordable than in 1980 – and during the same period consumption has increased by around 20%.

The Scottish Government’s proposals for minimum pricing per unit of alcohol have the overwhelming support of the medical profession, including all four UK Chief Medical Officers, the BMA, the Royal Colleges of Nursing, Physicians, Surgeons and GPs, the Faculty of Public Health, the British Liver Trust, the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, and the World Health Organisation.

Most recently the measure has been proposed by the influential all-party Commons Health Committee at Westminster – although Labour and other opposition parties continue to oppose it in the Scottish Parliament – without suggesting any alternatives.

Speaking today, Shona said: “I welcome Jonathon’s support as a past President of the Dundee Licensed Trade Association for the minimum pricing per unit of alcohol. The measure has the support of a great many public and private bodies including that of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association.

“Publicans have nothing to fear from the proposal.

“What we want to encourage is sensible drinking in moderation and to tackle the binge-drinking culture. We believe that the proposals in our Alcohol Bill will help to do that.”