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Tackling alcohol misuse
03/04/2008
Speaking after attending the European Alcohol Policy conference in Barcelona today, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill reiterated his determination to tackle alcohol misuse.
Mr MacAskill said:
"This conference was a great opportunity to discuss our respective problems with alcohol and the action we need to take to tackle them with countries from across Europe.
"I was particularly pleased to hear that Sweden plan to keep action on alcohol as a top priority when they take up the EU presidency later this year. They are keen to focus on the role of sponsorship and advertising on alcohol consumption - an area which I agree needs to be looked at carefully.
"Similarly some of the action already taken by other countries is well worth considering as we in Scotland develop a strategic approach to tackling alcohol misuse. For example Spain have developed a model to help young drinkers that means they get the help and support they need in the family setting. I also found the work they have been doing with driving schools to help raise awareness of drink driving levels and the dangers of drink driving particularly interesting. It could also become extremely relevant given our current drive to get the UK Government to reduce our limit to that of the vast majority of EU states.
"The Swedish Minister also made some very valid points about cross-border issues affecting the ability of individual countries ability to act. She highlighted the huge difference in the levels of alcohol and tobacco that can be taken from one country to another, and the fact that the high alcohol allowance means people can get easy access to cheap alcohol. This shows the need and the importance for EU cooperation on alcohol action.
"But it's not just about what we can learn from others. There was also interest from other member states about what we are doing in Scotland - I explained that we are bringing in separate display areas for alcohol to stop it being sold across stores. I also mentioned our plans to ban irresponsible promotions in off-sales - highlighting how these can combine to stop people being presented with cheap alcohol deals at every turn in a supermarket.
"Co-operation is key to making a real difference to Scotland's problems with alcohol. By working together and learning from each other we can get Scotland's drinking down to a level where it becomes a positive part of our social and cultural life - and stops fuelling crime and costing our economy and health service."
The European Action on Alcohol Conference is taking place in Barcelona from April 2 to 5.