Battling the bottle

April 26th, 2010

We all know people who don’t mix well with the demon drink.

It’s a reminder to us all that if grown adults can’t handle their alcohol, then young people getting their hands on the stuff is a real worry.

Yet we still have examples of irresponsible retailers who put their own profit before the safety of children.

That is why I was pleased to see the alcohol test purchase team so active last week in tackling those who sell drink to children.

If found guilty, irresponsible retailers face losing their license and that sends a clear message that this kind of practice will no be tolerated.

Worryingly, nearly a third of staff challenged by this scheme were prepared to sell drink to the test purchase ‘officer’.

The test purchase scheme is just one tool the police have at their disposal to tackle problem drinking - they can also challenge people boozing in the streets and use the licensing laws against pub landlords who fail to spot when customers have had one too many.

I am proud to say I backed much of these tough measures when they were introduced to the parliament by the last executive.

The reality is that there is no ‘silver bullet’ that will solve Scotland’s battle with the bottle.

The SNP Government in Edinburgh’s obsession with minimum pricing, which punishes responsible drinkers, is currently acting as a distraction to the real problems at hand.

But a good place to start would be enforcing the legislation we already have in place, effectively and consistently.

There are further steps we could take, such as a national mandatory Challenge 21 scheme and even tougher sanctions against irresponsible retailers.

And we know the success of properly resourced diversionary projects like the Inverclyde Initiative, which reduced incidents of youth disorder by a third.

The reality is that these schemes require proper funding, while the rhetoric on minimum pricing costs nothing.