Debate on Alcohol's Minimum Pricing at Holyrood

The debate on the minimum paricing for alcohol has continued in Holyrood and different points of view have been aired. In the views of Nicola Sturgeon The Deputy First minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, "We all agree, too, that education, partnership working with the alcohol industry and investment in alcohol treatment services are all components of an effective alcohol strategy, which is why they are among the 41 actions in our alcohol framework. However, we believe—this view is strongly backed by doctors, nurses, the police, the churches, public health experts, all four UK chief medical officers and a host of children's charities—that no package of measures will be truly effective without real and effective action on price. We believe that it would be a dereliction of our duty to ignore the clear evidence and expert opinion from the World Health Organization, advisers to the European Commission, the British Medical Association and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, which tell us very clearly that price intervention is one of the most effective tools in tackling alcohol misuse."



It seems that the views against minimum pricing are coming from organisations that have a vested interest in the financila implications of this, whilest institutions with a more impartial view on the issue like churches, health organisations and professional medical bodies are all supporting the minimum pricing. This view was clearly expressed by Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP) .



The debate continues, but it is clear that pricing must be a part of a concerted solution for the alcohol abuse problems within Scottish society.

Designer clothes for children

The Daily Mail is running a story today on Suri Cruise who apparently owns a £1 million wardrobe at the tender age of four. Her parents applaud her fashion sense and are happy in getting for her whatever she wants. The article goes on to report that this example is now influencing consumer habits of ordinary people, where parents overspend on designer clothes for their children. Examples cited are Dior T-shirts etc.

Everyone knows that children and teenagers are subject to peer pressure and that their fashion sense is heavily influenced by the people they ahng out with, however, I wonder about what motivates a parent to indulge their children in such a way. Could it be that as parents we want to compensate our children for soemthing lacking in thier lives? Don't get me wrong, I applaud the efforts of committed parents who work hard to bring home the bacon, and I do understand the pressures of parenthood and full time employment particularly now, when jobs are scarce... but it might be that what our children actually want is time spent as a family doing fun things together without constant pressure to spend spend spend.

Could it be that we as parents seek retail therapy whenever something is not quite great in our lives? Are we actually training our children into believing that buying stuff feels good? We might be sending a very confused message to our children when we buy things for them (or for ourselves for that matter) as a substitute or compensation for attention and affection.

Who feels good after consumption binges ? The parents or the children?

minimum pricing on Alcohol debated @ Holyrood

There seems to be split views around the effect that the proposed minimum pricing of alcohol will have on consumption patters in Scotland. It has been reported that the committee in Holyrood that is overseeing the proposal has differing views on its effects.

One argument seems to conclude that the introduction of the minimum pricing will prompt consumers into purchasing online, or travelling abroad for purchasing alcohol. At the same time , minimum pricing would have a disproportionate effect on consumers from lower income brackets. The counter argument is that the minimum price will not achieve its intended effect of reducing consumption.

What is clear however, is that given the high levels of alcohol consumption in Scotland, the proposal for a minimum price per unit will have to be addressed.

Minimum princing of alcohol might not affect low-income families

Professor Anne Ludbrock from the Health Economics Research Unit of the university of Aberdeen has recently completed a study on the effects that minimum pricing on alcohol would have on purchasing habits of UK households. Her results state that contrary to earlier claims, low income households would be the least affected by the minimum pricing on alcohol, possibly because these households are not the main purchasers of the cheapest alcohol. Middle income families would be the ones most seriously affected. The study analysed data collected through the Expenditure and Food Survey (EFS) (now called the Living Cost and Food Survey) for 2007 which sampled representative households throughout the UK.

Prof. Ludbrock points out that " data from the EFS suggest that the purchasing of low priced alcohol occurs across the income distribution. If anything, middle income groups appear to purchase more of the lower price alcohol. One potential explanation may be that these households have sufficient discretionary income to allow them to take advantage of discounted special offers".

The report was commissioned by the Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) and can be read in full through this link.

Major Pub Groups urge for level playing field

Mitchells & Butlers (M&B), the Glasgow-based G1 Group run by Stefan King, and Punch Taverns are urging the Scottish Government to set up a level playing field amid the debate on minimum pricing. Supermarket offers might fuel binge drinking and the pub groups argue that supermarkets might not be fulfilling their social responsibility when it comes to promotions on alcoholic drinks. For the full story follow this link. A study has been comissioned by the Scottish Government on the impact of minimu pricing of alcoholic drinks. The minimum pricing policy has received the support of numerous faith-based organisations, including the Church of Scotland.

NHS Fact Sheet on Minimum Pricing of Alcohol

The NHS has recently published a very comprehensive fact sheet about the proposals for the minimu pricing on alcohol. If you are interested, please follow this link.

Binge drinking affects unborn children

Dr Jonathan Sher, director of research, policy and programmes at Children in Scotland, compiled a report on the effects of alcohol abuse during the first three months of pregnancy. The child can experience visible birth defects such as face malformations, as well as brain damage. In its less severe cases, children can experience severe learning difficulties. Dr. Sher who has submitted the report both to the UK and the Scottish Parliament mentioned that foetal alcohol syndrome, (FAS) damages might not necessarily be apparent at birth, but might become evident later in life. He stated that one of the effects of alcohol abuse during the early lives of the foetus include damage to " a person’s ability to plan, learn from experience and control impulses -- to be significantly diminished by foetal alcohol exposure. This happens because alcohol is a teratogenic agent (meaning a chemical that interferes with the normal development of a foetus). Some of this teratogenic harm can occur during the first weeks following conception – i.e., even before the
pregnancy has been realised and confirmed by the mother."

It is particulalry tragic that as many as 900 children in Scotland are affected by FAS. The Church of Scotland, through Rev. Ian Galloway, Convener of the Church and Society Council, has had a very clear policy against alcohol abuse and has spoken on repeated ocassions in support of the minimum pricing of alcohol.

Credits
Photograph taken by Emery Co Photo