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Crackdown on cheap alcohol sales launched |
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Wednesday, 05 September 2007 |
Retailers will be banned from using ‘two for one’ type promotions on alcohol and will have to ensure alcohol is only sold in one area of a shop under new measures announced today by Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill.
MacAskill will extend the new Licensing Act to crackdown on what he called “irresponsible promotions and pricing” in many shops, supermarkets and off-licenses.
It was also be mandatory for shops to stock alcohol only in clearly defined areas, meaning supermarkets will not be able to cross-promote wine with certain foods.
Speaking at today’s Alcohol Focus Scotland conference, MacAskill said:
“This is immediate action to kick start a long term drive to change Scotland's culture - to help make sure drinking to get drunk is simply no longer seen as acceptable. To end the days of 'buy two get one free' type promotions reducing the cost of beer to as little as 43 pence a pint. These measures will also support long term change in all our drinking habits. We will stop shops displaying beer all around the store or cross-merchandising wine in the pizza counter to entice impulse buyers to buy and drink more alcohol. I hope this will help us to remind people that alcohol is not just another commodity and it shouldn't be treated in the same way as buying a tin of beans or loaf of bread.
“As a government we are not prohibitionists or anti-alcohol. But we are taking a stand against excessive drinking and the impact it is having on people's health, wellbeing and safety. I won't stand by and do nothing, watching alcohol misuse tighten its grip and continue to wreak havoc on the lives of people up and down Scotland. By taking action today to turn off the tap of cheap drink, to end irresponsible promotions wherever alcohol is sold, and making sure alcohol isn't sold at every turn in the supermarket, I believe we can turn this around.”
One person has commented on this article. 1. Problem Drinking
Alexander Coull, Unregistered If the answer to problem drinking is to ban offers and raise the price of alcohol,then is the answer to obesity to ban offers and raise the price of food?
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 05 September 2007 )
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