| Dr Peter Rice, a supporter of setting a minimum price for alcohol, said the move would not help win Scotland’s battle with booze.
He revealed there are more than 1200 people in Tayside in treatment for alcohol problems, double the number of two years ago.
However, he welcomed agreement in the Parliament that there needed to be investment in alcohol services.
The Scottish Parliament yesterday voted to ditch minimum pricing proposals, part of a package of measures designed to tackle Scotland’s appalling record on alcohol.
Dr Rice, who heads NHS Tayside’s alcohol services and is chairman of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland, said the doubling of people in treatment was due to a decision to seek out people locally with alcohol problems that were not being tackled.
“We recognised there was a big unmet demand here, and we got support from NHS Tayside to start to meet that demand,” said Dr Rice.
He has worked with national and local bodies to promote minimum pricing, which he describes as “the fairest and most effective” way of tackling Scotland’s alcohol problem, so he was disappointed the Parliament voted against it.
Dr Rice said those against the measure need to come up with effective alternatives, and was dismissive about the proposal to ban sales of below-cost price alcohol.
“Our calculation is that a ban on below-cost selling would still allow a bottle of spirits to sell for under £7.
“A two litre bottle of strong cider could be sold for less than £1.
“I was disappointed but not surprised by the debate on minimum pricing. We knew the Conservatives and Labour had said they were opposed to it.”
* The president of the Dundee Licensed Trade Association hit out at Holyrood’s abandon-ment of minimum pricing.
Colin Rattray said, “I’m fully in favour of minimum pricing, and I think it’s a bad thing — not just for Dundee, but for all of Scotland — that minimum pricing is not going to be introduced.
“The on-trade sector has worked hard to stop irresponsible price promotions.
“The medics are for minimum pricing, and we’re for it.
“I think politicians are the only ones in favour of the producers.
“We need to stop Scotland’s relationship with alcohol.
“We have become a nation of home drinkers.
“The Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police said this week that drink had been a factor in 14 murders in Strathclyde since the start of April.
“We have a culture of drinking that leads to violence, and a change to that can only come through minimum pricing.” |
