News.Scotland.Org

Scotland, May 7: The Health Analytical Services Division of the Scottish Government in its report said that the misuse of alcohol in Scotland amounts to £2.25bn per year. The amount is more than double when compared with previous statistics. The study considered cost to business, police, court service and the NHS.

On the other hand the Scottish Beer and Pub Association (SBPA) whose members operate 1500 pubs in Scotland have questioned the reliability of the figures. The Scottish government has allocated £120m for the next three years to restrict the raising problem of alcohol abuse.

According to the report the costs include the £405m spend by the NHS, £170m spend by social work service and £385m spend by the fire service and criminal justice. The wider economic costs were estimated at £820m and the human and social costs were estimated at £470m.

The lower productivity at work and the day off due to hangover is costing £150m for the NHS and the A&E services costs £32.3m.The misuse of alcohol costs £288m for the police as alcohol is believed to be the reason behind 40 per cent of the crimes. Premature death due to regular alcohol consumption costs £328m for Scotland.

While commenting on this Minister for Public Health, Shona Robison said: “The statistics give a clear picture about the huge impact created by alcohol misuse in crucial sectors like the police, courts, the NHS and social services. It has an adverse effect on our economy. Not only the alcohol misuse affecting our services and health but also slows down the potential as a nation.”

Proper awareness to control the over use of alcohol is what needed to check the adverse effects posed by it.

March, 29

So no drinks for below-21s this bold step was taken by one of the small towns in Scotland to curb the under-age drinking menace. It was evident that alcohol was easily available for these under-age drinkers easily deteriorating their life and pushing them towards antisocial behaviours. Taking an initiative to put a stop to this growing problem in the society this six-week pilot scheme came to force.

This new pilot project in the small town of Armadale, West Lothian is said to act from 5pm to 10pm on Friday and Saturday nights. This pilot scheme was developed by East Lothian and Border Police. It was known that the new scheme was also flayed by a section of grocery and alcohol campaigners.

Meanwhile the positive aspect is that in West Lothian council the alcohol shop which sells alcohol has agreed to ask customers their age proof who appears to be under-age. Constable Phillip McIntosh of the Safer Neighbourhoods team said, “Youth disorder is often linked to alcohol, and Armadale is no different to any other town in Scotland”. He added the target is not only to curb and stop the under-age access to alcohol, but also to aware those who supply alcohol to these youngsters.

The President of the Scottish Grocers Fondation, Colin Landsburgh said we should make the use of a national proof-of-age card by all people who want to buy alcohol with an age restriction. He further said we should try and intensify this initiative and also in a big manner across Scotland. He also appreciated the role of the police who made this whole project more active. It was also thought to include the clubs and pubs in the parameters of this under-age drinking regulation, so that no under-age child gets alcohol.

March, 27

Pregnant women who are use to take alcohol; will now have to restrict the amount of these hard drinks they use to consume. The health watchdogs have advised these expecting moms to avoid alcohol and should not have more than two units twice a week. Even the health department supports these guidelines for pregnant women, and advice them to cut in their drinking habits.

It is feared that over consumption of alcohol during pregnancy can harm the unborn baby and also could lead to other complications. Women who do choose to drink after the first trimester should not go for more than two units of alcohol once or twice a week.

These future moms should have a control in their drinking habits, so that it will be safe for them and also for the new born. Binge drinking during pregnancy can cause permanent damage to the cells of a developing baby. Alcohol reaches to the baby through your bloodstream and across the placenta. This can cause serious complications while pregnancy and can lead to miscarriage and premature birth.

If we look to the scientific term which is used for over drinking disorder during pregnancy is fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). This can cause a range of disorders to the baby in due course. So if you are an expectant then do check out for the amount of alcohol you consume for the sake of your newborn.

February, 1

It seems the people of Britain have found a healthy supplement to quench their thirst. It is found that slowly people are switching over to water and fruit juices rather than going for those sugary carbonated drinks to beat the heat. It was learnt that with the growing concern of health and the ill-effects of these sugary carbonated drinks, it is predicted that the sales of these fizzy drinks in coming years is going to scale down. People are becoming more aware and conscious about their health and also what to eat and drink and what not.

This new trend to some extent has raised a concern for the soft drinks giants, while on the other hand has brought a smile on the faces of many health experts who believes it a healthy move. At present these fizzy drinks accounts to about 61 percent of the total UK soft drink market. And the market analysts have predicted that by 2011 this current rate will drop to about 50 percent in UK itself. On the contrary the sales of bottled water will go up to 24 percent from the current 19 percent in coming years. Along with that it is also forecasted that the demand for fruit juices will rise, and they will become the favourites for all those people, who were relying on fizzy drinks to beat their thirst. This change in choice among people highlights that slowly they are moving towards a healthy way.

The research conducted by Datamonitor, on the market study which brought this new fact in light has raised many eyebrows. It was also known that even the schools in US and Europe are looking to stop the sale of these sugary carbonated drinks in school and are planning to look out for some product which is healthy for students and also contain lower sugar levels. This sudden change in preference in market is making the fizzy drink manufacturers restless and forcing them to come out with a solution to balance the situation.

Few of these manufacturers have rolled out a new range of drinks which contains fruit juices and other supplements making up a good energy drink. These fizzy drinks manufacturers are also using different sales strategies to make their product more attractive and catchy. But with more and more awareness of what damage these fizzy drinks can do to one’s health, people are losing interest in these fizzy drinks slowly.

Scotland, Jan 22: To tackle the adverse effects of drug habits in teenagers in the border areas the fund of more than £500,000 is allocated for this project. The project named as Reiver project will help to minimise the harm caused by the habits of both drugs and alcohol. This is one among the ten projects that share more than £3m from the Big Lottery Fund Scotland’s investing in Communities Fund.

While responding to this Michelle Ballantyne, the head of Borders Counselling on Alcohol and Substances said: “I feel absolutely happy with the funds and it will help the work to reach more and more young people. As the project proceeds we can expect the drug habit in teenagers to minimise.”

The project aims to give individually designed counselling service for youths and their family to make them aware of the adverse effects of this habit. This will extend for the period of up to five years. Project also include a mobile information service and will make use of the possibility of educational institutions, hospitals and the local police to tackle the problem.

Meanwhile Alison Magee of the Big Lottery Fund Scotland said: “The alcohol and drug habits always remain a problem despite age group. But it is important to support the young people to triumph over this ruining habit that will allow them to contribute effectively to the development of the communities.”

Teenage is a crucial age of a man’s growth. Drug and alcohol habits will keep them inactive. So in this regard the Reiver project gains a wide significance.

January, 18

With the increase in the number young lads taking up drinking as a new trend these days, a sudden jump in offences including rash driving and accidents are now a normal scene in Scotland. To keep a check to this growing menace and also to make sure these young children don’t get addicted to this liquor mania. Tayside police have stood up with a new plan to have a control on these growing cases.

In this drive, it was thought of implementing extra police patrols in area which are known to be vulnerable to these incidents. To make this campaign more strong and result oriented, few other agencies will also be involved in order to overcome this current issue. Talking regarding this issue, Chief Superintendent Colin McCashey, the divisional commander in Dundee said, if we look to the record of last month of 2007 we can find that hundreds of young children were caught either under the influence of alcohol or with the possession of alcohol.

In one of such recent road accident report, which we published in our blog regarding the death of Mr Newlove, 47 who lost his life when some youths under influence of liquor hit him with car while he was crossing the road. This was just one of such recent incidents, many other such accidents have been occurred which opens a debate for this change in trend among young children.

Now this issue has taken a big toll on the society both practically and physiologically demanding a need for a change in these types of growing habits in youths. Even its more over now the responsibility of parents to keep an eye on their wards and check what they are doing and do they possess some bad habits or company.

Scotland, Dec 27: In a shocking report it was revealed that in Scotland the under age drinking habit is on rise. In the recent days police have arrested under aged children for being drunk in the public. In the past five years at least 2000 children were arrested for being drunk in the public. Among those arrested there are several primary school students that raise concern about the health of the future generation.

Alcohol awareness campaigners and politicians voiced their concern about the new habitual change in the youngsters. They said that the drinking habit has become worsen now than the past decade. Meanwhile one leading charity voiced against the criminalising youth unnecessarily by arresting them for being drunk. They also pointed out that out of 2000 children arrested over the past five years only 34 were of the age 12 or below.

According to Frank Soodeen of the agency named Alcohol Concern said: “Despite the harm the children are doing the drinking habit will affect their developing bodies by if not properly monitored they are likely to have sex or sustain injury or get into scuffle. Other than criminalising young people unnecessarily it is better to consider the option of licensing laws and proper regulation to ensure age restriction to be effectively implemented. Adequate training should have to be given to the staffs who are selling alcohol to help while approaching under age drinkers.”

While commenting on this the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland opined that it supports all the initiative that would help in minimising the menace of under age drinking culture. The enforcement is part of the series of restriction measures taken to curb this ruining habit.

Under age drinking habit pose great threat to the future of the young generation in Scotland. As being a delicate issue it has to be approached with great care by chalking out a comprehensive strategy to bring in an amicable solution.

Scotland, Dec 7: The pubs in Scotland have turned out as the victims of the knife culture that is paving way for the increase in the violence rate against its staff. As an attempt to restrict this kind of knife culture the door stewards of the bars will be equipped with hand held metal detectors as a precautionary measure to identify the hidden weapons.

This initiation is a joint effort by the Renfrewshire council and Strathclyde Police and was launched in Paisley. Door stewards in 34 spots will be give the metal detectors

There have been many incidents in the past where the customer pulled out a gun or knife to threaten the staff for some silly reasons.

According to a door staff of Tiger Lily, a lap dancing bar, the device will minimise their tension and will help to identify the hidden weapons brought in by the aggressive customers. It will convert our job easier as the device indicates the concealed weapon and we cannot accuse them for possessing the weapon, what we can do is to deny them an entry so it will avoid the dangerous situation.

“We are expecting that this initiative will affect the practice of carrying weapons. The sense of being detected will restrict the weapons carrying tendency and thereby minimise the violence level,” said Robin Young, deputy sub-divisional officer of the Paisley police station.

The device that is 8inch long will vibrate on detecting metal. Owing to its vibration nature those customers carrying weapons will not get any indication about them being detected. If this initiative turns out as a successful one, then it will be implemented in other areas in Scotland.

November, 14

Now sale of alcohol will be done in a sophisticated manner in shops, soon it will get a separate area in the supermarkets. It is known that the Scottish government is all set to ban the display of alcohol in stores. Earlier, Kenny MacAskill, the Justice Secretary mentioned that alcohol will not be sold like a ‘pint of milk or packet of tattie scones’ in supermarkets. This massive decision has raised a severe feeling of discomfort among the retailers, who are against this decision.

It was noticed that alcohol was available so easily in every supermarkets and shops with more and more cross-merchandising generating a wrong message to the masses. Beer placed next to barbecues and other things will be a past from now, this decision will oblige these supermarkets to sell alcohol in a different shelf or area.

With the on set of the festive season the decision has raised some serious concern for the shopkeepers, who now has a mammoth task on hands. Christmas is nearing and all shopkeepers are busy to generate their sales and in between this new change will be a challenge for them says retailers like Asda. This new bevvy culture will refine the market look and will give alcohol a separate area to woo its fans.

In recent years it is clearly seen that alcohol has taken a prime place in almost all shops and supermarkets. That too the way these hard drinks are displayed and promoted can fascinate even a non-drinker. Even many strange cross-merchandising was seen, like beer displayed next to barbecues and white wines in the lingerie departments. Even the checkout area remains flooded with wines; all over alcohol is projected so heavily which was a worry sign. But sooner or later the Scottish government has decided to restrict the area for alcohol sale in shops and supermarket.

This new way of merchandising is making buyers attracted towards the new alcohol culture and getting the innocent buyers to flow along this wave of promotion. Hope after this decision the alcohol lovers would get a separate area to grab their favourite bottle, while the rest buyers can enjoy their shopping without the alcohol effect.

November, 12

Now beer drinkers have to pay more in order to quench their thirst. With the increase in the prices of beer, now this refreshing drink would get bitter for these brewers. It is known that with the increase in the prices of raw material this sudden hike in beer rates has came into picture. The new hike in prices would come into effect from next year. The steep rise in the prices of malt, barley, glass and aluminium is the main cause for this sudden rise.

Another factor responsible is the heavy rains which destroyed the barley cultivation in Europe and affected the quality of the barley crop. While it was noticed that, drought in Australia havocked the barley cultivation, creating a decline in the quantity of raw material for the preparation of beer. This in turn made the cost of barely to rise in the market, with the increase in the prices of glass, fuel and aluminium adding to the woes.

This unpredicted price rise has made the farmers worried and forced them to plant corn to cope up with the rapid demand for biofuels. On the other hand market analyst said that this upward trend in the prices of beer will not bother much to the big suppliers and supermarkets, but the small players will have to bear tough times ahead. Nigel Pollard of Scottish and Newcastle said even brewers would face the brunt of price rise and it will be tough for them to sustain this spiraling cost. He also hinted that lot much is in the offing to march upwards along with beer rates. He said this price rise will effect the rates of other alcoholic beverages like cider and soft drinks too.

The beer manufacturers and traders are not left with any other option, and have to up the rates of bear. It is for sure that this new year beer fans have to get ready to pay more to relish this bubbly delight.