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European conference on alcohol misuse |
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Wednesday, 02 April 2008 |
Cabinet Secretary for Justice Kenny MacAskill is today meeting with Ministerial colleagues from across Europe to discuss approaches to dealing with alcohol misuse at the European Alcohol Policy conference in Barcelona.
The conference – themed ‘Building Capacity for Action’ – will deal with a range of issues including the prevention of harm, industry involvement and the importance of education.
Speaking ahead of the conference, MacAskill said Scotland could learn from issues being identified by other European countries:
“There is no doubt that Scotland as a whole has a problem with alcohol misuse. That problem is taking its toll on our health service, our economy, our criminal justice system and too many of our communities. That's why we are taking action - bringing in separate display areas for alcohol, ending irresponsible promotions, rolling out a national test purchasing scheme and working on a long term strategic approach to help change our attitudes and culture.
“It's important to remember that Scotland is not alone, other countries in the European Union are facing similar challenges. This conference will give me a valuable opportunity to learn about approaches that have been taken in other countries and what the results have been so far. For example, I understand that Germany will be keen to discuss measures to change attitudes to drinking, while the Catalans are focusing on targeting middle aged drinkers as well as the young - both areas we in Scotland will need to consider. I believe that working together, learning from others and ruling nothing out can help us make sure Scotland is better placed to tackle our alcohol problem and help young and old, rich and poor alike.”
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