1. Changing Scotland’s Relationship with Alcohol – A Framework for Action
Mike Palmer
Deputy Director, Public Health
Scottish Government

2. Consequences? Harms from drunkenness
“Warning of more murders if teenagers' drinking goes unchecked”
“Mother describes family's torment over festive season killing”
Harms from sustained long-term misuse
Not a marginal problem – population-wide approach required

3. Challenges
“Yes, but I’m not part of the problem - don’t penalise the majority for the sins of the minority”
Intrusion on personal freedoms
Successful Scottish industry
£4.0bn exports
10,000 directly employed
Credit crunch

4. Integrated alcohol policy
Stronger
Healthier
Safer &
Reducing Consumption
Supporting Families & Communities
Positive Attitudes, Positive Choices
Fairer
Effective Support & Treatment
Smarter
Wealthier &

5. Reducing Consumption
Action on promotions, deep discounting and below cost-selling (eg. 3 for 2)
Proposals for a minimum pricing scheme – based on price per unit
Require licensed premises to offer 125ml of wine

6. Price & Consumption Trends

7. Reduction in consumption (%)

8. Reduction in consumption by drinking group (%)

9. Reduction in alcohol-related deaths in year 10

10. Supporting Families & Communities
LAs to consider increasing age limit to 21 (off-sales only)
‘Social Responsibility’ levy
Review advice to parents & carers
Education
Diversionary activities
Licensing measures
Call for reduced UK drink driving limit

11. Positive attitudes, Positive choices
Improve public awareness
information & education campaigns
improve labelling
Tighten restrictions on alcohol advertising in relation to young people
Limit promotional material in-store

12. Effective Support & Treatment
Developing alcohol workforce
Tackling mental health & substance misuse
Offenders
Enhancing & capacity building in screening, brief interventions and treatment services

13. Investment in Effective Support & Treatment
Record investment
= Total almost £120m over 3 years
First call - early brief interventions in primary care, A&E/acute & ante-natal
Majority of funding - prevention & treatment services (working through local partnerships)

14. Achieving culture change
Importance of ‘cultural capital’ – attitudes, values, aspirations (family, peers, communities)
Encourage – eg. drive behavioural change through legislation/regulation & enforcement
Enable – e.g. inform, build skills and capacity
Engage – e.g. communities, media,
social marketing
Exemplify – consistency, credibility

15. Ensuring Delivery & Sustaining Effort
Short term action + long-term culture change
Whole population approach + targeted actions
Delivery – in partnership
10-20 years?
Maintain consistency of message
Milestones?
Building & sustaining momentum
Feedback on achievements – motivating