Drink and the poor

People in Scotland said to buy 20% more alcohol on average than those in England and Wales.

Scotland's poorest people suffer most from having easy access to alcohol in their area, researchers at Glasgow and Edinburgh universities found. Those on the lowest incomes were more likely to drink too much if availability was high. They have suggested the Scottish government should look at cutting the number of shops selling alcohol - particularly in areas of low income.

The study found the amount of alcohol consumed by people on the highest incomes was far less affected by the number of outlets near their homes.

The findings comes ahead of the introduction of minimum pricing for alcohol on 1 May. The move will raise the cost of the strongest, cheapest alcohol by setting a minimum price per unit - which the Scottish governments want to be 50p.

The team has shown  that there are more premises selling alcohol in the poorest parts of Scotland than in the wealthiest areas. They also highlighted that the poorest areas have the highest levels of consumption and alcohol-related harm.

Dr Niamh Shortt, of the University of Edinburgh's School of GeoSciences, said: "Low-income groups suffer most from alcohol-related harm, and our research shows that they are also at the greatest risk from its ubiquitous availability in our neighbourhoods. Alongside price, we need to address the easy availability of alcohol."

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-43471097