The SNP Government has called on experts to study the impact of banning alcohol- marketing such as branded pint glasses, umbrellas, and T-shirts in a bid to tackle alcohol related deaths.
Health Secretary Neil Gray told MSPs on Thursday that Public Health Scotland will look into reducing alcohol marketing to stop people from developing drinking problems
However, Mr Gray also announced that plans for a second consultation on alcohol marketing restrictions are to be further delayed pending an evidence review by Public Health Scotland, saying “It is clear that steps to reduce alcohol harm are vital to supporting good public health and to reduce alcohol specific deaths.
“It is therefore vital that we are clear on the evidence and that proposals would be effective, that action to reduce alcohol harm supports good public health and would reduce alcohol specific deaths, and that decisions we take are led by evidence, balanced with the potential impact on the wider economy.”
“Therefore I will commission Public Health Scotland to carry out a review of the evidence on the range of options to reduce exposure to alcohol marketing, to help us in this aim.”
Responding to the announcement, Alcohol Focus Scotland said it is deeply disappointed by this announcement which, it says, confirms that it will now be impossible for the Scottish Government to fulfil it’s commitment to legislate to protect children and young people from pervasive alcohol marketing during the course of this parliament.
Laura Mahon, Deputy CEO of Alcohol Focus Scotland said:
“This week saw the publication of figures showing a 15 year high in alcohol specific deaths. 1,277 of our fellow Scots died last year due to alcohol alone, more than died due to all other drugs combined.”
“Yet staggeringly, this figure is only the tip of the iceberg, with more than twice as many likely to have died from other alcohol related causes including cancers, cardiovascular disease, accidents, violence and suicide.”
“Despite the Scottish Government itself declaring alcohol a public health emergency more than two years ago, and the scale of that emergency only increasing, we simply have not seen an emergency response.”
CAMRA Chief Executive Tom Stainer said:
“We need to avoid a return to the Scottish Government’s previous heavy-handed plans which risked demonising the vast majority of those who consume alcohol responsibly, damaging the viability of small, local pubs which are a vital part of our social fabric, and stopping small and independent breweries and cider producers bring products to market which improves consumer choice of quality, distinctive and local beer and cider.”
“Whilst we absolutely accept the need to reduce the number of deaths from alcohol in Scotland, ministers need to make sure that they don’t try and force through the draconian proposals of the past and avoid giving the impression that moderate consumption of lower abv drinks like beer in community pubs is driving this tragic trend, as this is not the case.”
