A Taste of Wellness for Savoury and Snacks
Givaudan
An action plan has been drawn up to tackle Scotland's culture of binge drinking, a culture which is being blamed for damaging the country's future, reports the British Medical Journal this week.
Alcohol problems are estimated to cost Scotland £1bn (€1.6bn) a year through reduced productivity and the costs of, crime, accidentsdamage to property, and health service costs injury and illness. The latest figures show that one in three men in Scotland and one in seven women in Scotland are exceeding recommended drinking levels.
The news story reports that Martin Raymond, head of public affairs at the Health Education Board for Scotland, said the real concern is the Scottish pattern of binge drinking. "A 15 year old in France is likely to drink as frequently as a 15 year old in Scotland but is half as likely to get drunk as often."
The action plan produced by the Scottish Executive recognises that it will take a long time to change the drinking culture in Scotland. It proposes a series of measures, including a £1.5 million (€2.4m) national campaign to raise awareness of the problem, better education in schools, and a new guide for parents to help them talk to their children about alcohol. It also recommends increased funding for of local alcohol action teams; and improved training for of bar staff to encourage sensible drinking.
The action plan is available at www.scotland.gov.uk/health/alcoholproblems