Scots drink 25 percent more alcohol than drinkers south of the border
January 18, 2010
A new report out on the level of alcohol consumed by Scottish drinkers shows that on average they are managing to put away around twenty-five percent more than those in either England or Wales. NHS Health Scotland has been analysing sales figures and translating them into the amount of pure alcohol being sold throughout the country. The results show that between September 2008 and September 2009 the average amount of pure alcohol being consumed by the Scots over the legal drinking age was 12.2 litres. In real terms this amount is the equivalent to forty-six bottles of vodka every year. The study revealed that this level of intake has remained steady since 2005. The amount can also be converted into 130 bottles of wine every year or 537 pints of beer.
Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s Health Secretary said that Scotland must now introduce minimum pricing on alcohol. She said it was time for those who opposed the measures to wake up. She said that she realise that the move would not provide solutions to all the problems of excessive alcohol consumption in the country but that it would be a valuable weapon.
In total 50.5 million litres of pure alcohol was sold by retailers across Scotland last year. This was enough for every adult to have been imbibing well over what experts say are safe alcohol limits every week of the year. Figures released for the same period in England and Wales showed that an average of 9.7 litres of pure alcohol was being consumed. In weekly terms this means that south of the border drinkers may still be exceeding the recommended weekly intake for a man.
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