It's too easy for West Dunbartonshire youths to get booze, says alcohol charity chief

A new study found found minimum unit pricing (MUP) has had little impact on underage drinkers.

More needs to be done to stop young people getting their hands on booze, according to the chief of an alcohol support group.

Mags Mackenzie, chief executive of Dumbarton Area Council on Alcohol (DACA) spoke out after the publication of a new study last week found minimum unit pricing (MUP) has had little impact on underage drinkers.

The NHS Health Scotland report found there was no change in their consumption habits after the policy came into force in May 2018, hiking the price of some brands of booze, including cheap ciders.

It also found some teenagers were buying brands unaffected by the minimum price of 50p per unit.

Mags said she was most concerned by how easily young people are getting alcohol.

She said: “The findings from this study are interesting, although obviously it’s a very small sample and therefore not representative of the Scottish youth population as a whole or of West Dunbartonshire.

“One of the most worrying elements of this report is the apparent ease with which young people can get hold of alcohol and this strongly suggests that there is still work to be done to educate the adult population about the high risks of youth drinking.

“Agent sales campaigns often focus on the risk to adults of fines and even imprisonment if they buy or provide alcohol to young people but perhaps it’s time to shift the focus on to helping people understand that an alcohol-free childhood should be the right of every child in Scotland.”

NHS Scotland research on a group of 50 teenagers found that the price of alcohol was not a key consideration in their drinking habits.

The under-18s reported no change in their behaviour or ability to obtain alcohol despite potential price rises.

Interviewees said MUP had not changed what they drank, how much they consumed and how they got their hands on alcohol.

Jane Ford from NHS Health Scotland said more work needs to be done to assess MUP’s impact.

Mags added: “MUP is not a single solution for reducing alcohol harm but the logic behind that policy is a sound one: if something costs more, people buy less of it.

“This small study shouldn’t be taken as any kind of evidence of the effectiveness or otherwise of MUP.

“Early indications are that MUP is having some impact on reducing alcohol sales in Scotland, although it will be some time before the health impact on the population is really understood.

“One thing that is clear is that the harms of alcohol are felt more by people who are experiencing other types of disadvantage, including poverty and deprivation.

“There are an estimated 5000 children living in poverty in West Dunbartonshire. Protecting them from alcohol harm needs to be a priority for us.”

The West Dunbartonshire Alcohol and Drugs Partnership is working on a new substance use prevention strategy and protecting young people is one of the areas being consulted on.

Anybody who wants to take part can complete an online survey before the end of February at www.wdhscp.org.uk/health-improvement/alcohol-tobacco-and-other-drugs-have-your-say-2020.

For more local news from West Dunbartonshire click here