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.”

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.”

As MSPs today prepare to debate the Scottish Government’s Alcohol Bill at Holyrood, Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick welcomed the support of DR Bill Morrison, Consultant in Emergency Medicine at Ninewells for the minimum pricing policy.

Dr Morrison, who is based at A&E in Ninewells in also Chair of the Scottish Board at the College of Emergency Medicine.

Joe FitzPatrick said: “Quite recently Shona Robison and I went on a night-shift with the emergency services to see the damage done by alcohol misue and Dr Morrison kindly allowed us to spend some time in the A&E DEpartment at Ninewells to see for ourselves what damage alcohol can do. I am glad that he has come forward to support the Alcohol Bill’s provision for minimum unit pricing for alcohol. It demonstrates that those on the front-line know that this policy will make a real difference.”

In his letter to the MSP, Dr Morrison says: “AS a physician and Fellow/Member of the Royal College of Physicians, every day I come face to face with the tragedy of liveds lost and runiedn through hazardous and excessive drinking of alcohol.

“Figures on excess alcohol consumption and its consequences make grim reading. Scotland has some of the worst health statisitics in the world: A Scot dies every three hours as a result of alcohol misuse. There is no doubt that the single biggest driving force behind this increaed consumption is the rduction of cost in ral terms. The measures that the country has taken to curb excess have been inadequate until now.

“IT is therefore right thaty the country take proprortionate measures. It is Parliament’s responsibility to do what it can through legislation and setting an example. The Scottish Government’s Alcohol Framewaork strategy proposes a raft of measures, including a band on price promotions in off-licensed premises; the introduction of minimum reatil pricing to prevent loss-leading and below-cost selling of alcohol. There is plenty of evidence that they will reduce availability and increase the base price of alcohol. This will benefit the heavy drinker most, and have the greatest positive effect in the most deprived communities. The mdeical profession unreservedly supports these evidence-based measures as the correct approach.

“I strongly urge you as my patients’ local parliamentary representative to also support this package of measures includng the minimum pricing proposal.”