Tag Archive for Alcohol Bill

Cabinet Secretary and Cardinal Visit Dundee facility

November 15, 2010 Uncategorized No comments

The Cabinet Secretary for Justice Kenny Macaskill, and Cardinal Keith O’Brien, leader of Scotland’s Catholic community, today jointly visited the Jericho facility in Artillery Lane, Dundee, to learn about its success in helping men recover from alcohol addiction.

The Jericho opened in Dundee in 1996 to provide supported accomodation and a structured 12-step programme of recovery for its users.  The total cost of alcohol misuse to Scotland is estimated at £3.56billion every year – which equates to £900 for every adult living in Scotland. Scots drink almost a quarter more that their counterparts in England and Wales, fuelling much-higher levels of alcohol-related harm.

The Cabinet Secretary said: “Centres like Jericho Dundee give alcoholics the support need to face up to their problems and they play a vital role in helping to turn people’s lives around.”

MSP Disappointed at Labour’s ‘Party Politics’ on Minimum Pricing Vote

November 10, 2010 Joe FitzPatrick MSP No comments

 

The SNP’s flagship plan for a minimum price on alcohol has been rejected by Labour and other opposition parties at the Scottish Parliament.

Commenting after the vote on the amendment which ruled out, by 76 votes to 49 the 45p per litre minimum pricing measure, Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick said it was a sad day for Scotland as it showed that party politics had taken precedence against the very clear consensus on the value of the measure among many public health bodies across the UK.

“The measure had the 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, many publicans and retailers and the World Health Organisation – and there was clear evidence that it would have made a big difference to the huge problem of Scotland’s relationship with drink.

“Despite this Labour did not want to see the SNP Government get credit for dealing effectively with chronic alcohol misuse, which has been allowed to get worse while previous governments failed to act.

“The smoking ban was supported by all parties as it was a crucial intervention to massively improve health and wellbeing.

“But Labour have failed to come up with any other proposal to effectively deal with the alcohol problem. They had no real grounds for rejecting minimum pricing – other than party politics which to them is apparently more important than the nation’s health.

“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 problem is so serious that doing nothing is not an option. They will have to explain to the electorate why they failed to support minimum pricing which had such wide and informed support behind it as an effective measure to tackle the problem.”

SNP MSP Reveals Lack of Evidence for Labour’s Alcohol Plan

September 9, 2010 Joe FitzPatrick MSP No comments

SNP MSP Joe FitzPatrick today questioned Labour’s proposals for tackling alcohol as it emerged only one respondent to the Labour party’s alcohol commission backed their proposals while a majority backed minimum pricing.

An initial analysis by the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre shows that the majority of respondents to Labour’s Commission backed minimum pricing while only one – drinks manufacturer Edrington – proposed using Labour’s preferred method of cost + duty + vat.

Questioning the First Minister on the Scottish Government’s minimum pricing proposal today during First Minister’s Questions, Joe FitzPatrick revealed the figures from evidence Labour originally failed to publish.

Mr FitzPatrick said:

“Labour has been exposed.  Labour have dreamt up their ineffective scheme on the basis of one representation from an alcohol manufacturer. It is no surprise they kept these submissions quiet when they launched the report.

 

“Of the 80 respondents 45 were in favour of minimum pricing but only one backed Labour’s plans. 

 

“Not only that Labour failed to show what the impact on price, on consumption and on Scotland’s drinks industry would be.

“The Commission has been exposed for the stitch up it always was.  Comprised of Labour Councillors, former Labour MSPs and wannabe Labour candidates it is no surprise it came up with the results that it did.

“The fact is that the Scottish Government’s proposal of minimum pricing at 45 p per unit is widely recognised as offering real benefits for public health, the economy and public services.  It is time for opposition parties to drop their opposition and to work together with the SNP to introduce a minimum price that will see real action on Scotland’s  alcohol problems.”

Nursing Union Support for Minimum Pricing Welcomed

January 28, 2010 Uncategorized No comments

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.”

MSP’s Concern on Alcohol Commercials in Cinemas

January 14, 2010 Joe FitzPatrick MSP No comments

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.”

Dundee Publican’s Support for Alcohol Minimum Pricing Welcomed

January 14, 2010 Shona Robison MSP No comments

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.”

 

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