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Experts call for booze crackdown Experts call for booze crackdown
(about 9 hours later)
A pressure group has called for a Scottish Parliament inquiry into alcohol-related health problems.A pressure group has called for a Scottish Parliament inquiry into alcohol-related health problems.
The move by Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) comes a month after Health Minister Andy Kerr announced a strategy for tackling alcohol abuse. The move comes a month after Health Minister Andy Kerr announced a strategy for tackling alcohol abuse.
SHAAP is particularly concerned about the low-cost promotion of drinks in supermarkets and off-licences. Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) is particularly worried about low-cost drink promotions in supermarkets and off-licences.
The group will present a petition on the issue to the parliament on Tuesday. The group will present a petition to the parliament on Tuesday and will publish its parliamentary manifesto.
The organisation wants the health and community care committee to lead an inquiry into Scotland's alcohol problems.The organisation wants the health and community care committee to lead an inquiry into Scotland's alcohol problems.
SHAAP also published its parliamentary manifesto, calling for alcohol to be displayed separately from other goods in shops. It wants the Scottish Executive to look at extending the promotions mechanism in the Licensing (Scotland) Act to cover supermarkets, off-licences and shops as a means of preventing the low-cost promotion and sale of alcohol.
The Scottish Executive published is strategy on alcohol abuse last month which included rolling out a scheme to crack down on retailers who sold alcohol to under-18s. Stricter enforcement
The SHAAP manifesto calls for alcohol to be displayed separately from other goods in shops.
It recommends stricter enforcement of laws relating to alcohol use and residential programmes for people with alcohol problems throughout Scotland.
The appeal comes after school pupils last year petitioned parliament over concerns about the health implications of cheap alcohol and urged ministers to investigate.
The youngsters from All Saints School in Glasgow found that alcohol was often cheaper than bottled water.
The lower the cost of alcohol, the more alcohol is consumed and the worse our alcohol-related health problems become Dr Bruce Ritson
Dr Bruce Ritson, chair of SHAAP, said alcohol was undermining the nation's health.
"The association between price and increased consumption of alcohol is well established in academic and medical circles, but perhaps less well known publicly," he said.
"Speaking plainly, the lower the cost of alcohol, the more alcohol is consumed and the worse our alcohol-related health problems become."
The executive published its strategy on alcohol abuse last month which included rolling out a scheme to crack down on retailers who sold alcohol to under-18s.
SHAAP is a medical advocacy group set up by the Scottish Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties to raise awareness of the costs of excessive alcohol consumption.SHAAP is a medical advocacy group set up by the Scottish Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties to raise awareness of the costs of excessive alcohol consumption.