Scottish health chiefs in alcohol price plea battle
In a bid to tackle their huge underage and binge drinking problem, all of Scotland’s 17 public health chiefs have called on politicians to back a minimum price for alcohol, reports BBC News.
All 17 directors of health have signed a letter which calls on the Scottish government to raise the minimum price of alcohol “for the sake of the health” of everyone in Scotland. The letter has been sent to every MSP and the proposal is aimed as cheap wines and lagers.
Although the government has not set a minimum price for alcohol a figure of 40p per unit of alcohol has been used by ministers as an illustration and the health directors have said that minimum pricing is a way of reducing alcohol consumption without needed the approval of the Westminster parliament.
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon announced details of the minimum pricing proposal last month, on the same day the Labour party announced it would join the Tories and Lib Dems by not supporting it.
The directors of public health at all 14 of Scotland’s local health boards have signed the letter, as have the heads of Health Protection Scotland, NHS Health Scotland and the Scottish Prison Service’s medical service.