Alcohol misuse costs Scotland £3.56bn

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Alcohol misuse could be costing every Scottish adult about £900 per year according to a new independent study.

The research, which examined the impact across the NHS, police, social services, the economy and on families, estimated the total annual cost at around £3.56bn.

A Health Economics Consortium at University of York conducted the study on behalf of the Scottish Government by using 2007 figures.

It comes soon after the House of Commons Health Select Committee produced a report containing various measures to curb alcohol misuse.

Members of the cross-party committee recommended the UK government introduce minimum pricing, a rise in the duty on spirits and industrial white cider, and tighter and totally independent regulation of alcohol promotion.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said the York study provided a worrying revelation and called on MSPs to stop "stalling" and endorse the Scottish Government's Alcohol Bill.

She said: "This report, which takes a more comprehensive view than any previous study, indicates that the total cost of alcohol misuse to Scotland's economy and society is even worse than we thought.

"Not only does alcohol misuse burden our health service and police - it also has a terrifying knock-on effect on our economic potential and on the families devastated by death and illness caused by alcohol."

Included in the bill is a proposal for minimum pricing on alcoholic drinks. Opposition parties in Holyrood continue to block the measure despite their Westminster colleagues backing a similar policy.

Following the publication of the York study, Scottish Tory depute leader Murdo Fraser reiterated his party's stance. He said "targeted alcohol taxation" on problem drinks such as alcopops was needed rather than an "indiscriminate blanket minimum pricing" policy.

Liberal Democrat justice spokesman Robert Brown called on the Scottish government to focus on tackling irresponsible promotions and selling below cost price.

Using 2007 figures, the York study calculated that there are about 1,047,000 hazardous drinkers – those aged over 16 years who drink more than 21 units per week (males) and 14 units per week (females). This number comprises about 605,000 men and 442,000 women with the majority of those at the younger end of the scale.

Of the total financial cost of alcohol misuse, £268.8m was related to healthcare, £230.5m attributed to social care, £727.1m was from crime, £865.7m was lost in productivity and £1.46bn was related to wider social aspects.