A campaign group are calling for Scotland’s new First Minister, Humza Yousaf to show strong leadership and priority-setting – stating that the Scottish government is not doing enough to address the high level of alcohol deaths.

Doctors, charities, health practitioners and medical professionals have come together to urge the Scottish government to increase investment in alcohol services and recovery support as Scotland sees the highest level of alcohol deaths since 2008.

In the briefing paper, 34 charities and medical bodies have also called for “strong leadership” from Humza Yousaf to ensure urgent action is taken.

Yesterday the First Minister signalled that the Scottish government is to row back on plans for new restrictions to alcohol advertising.

In his statement to the Scottish parliament on his policy ambitions, Mr Yousaf said the “the proposals have caused real concern to an industry which is already facing challenges on multiple fronts”, and that he has instructed civil servants to “take these ideas back to the drawing board”.

Speaking before yesterday’s announcement, Alison Douglas, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, said alcohol is often promoted as simply “fun and relaxing” despite being addictive:

“Alcohol is Scotland’s drug of choice. It is addictive and carcinogenic. Yet because it is promoted as an everyday product, essential to having fun and relaxing, we are blinkered to the reality of the high levels of damage it causes.

“Before the pandemic almost 1 in 15 of all deaths in Scotland were caused by alcohol. Unless urgent action is taken now, then we could be sleep-walking our way back to the record levels of deaths we saw in the early 2000s.”

Ms Douglas added:

“It’s 16 months since the Scottish government rightly recognised there is a ‘public health emergency’ on alcohol, but there has been no plan to address it. This is unacceptable.”

Alongside investment in services and recovery support, the 34 organisations have called for a renewed commitment to preventative policies – from minimum unit pricing (MUP) to alcohol marketing restrictions. They say this is “urgently needed” to address harm linked to alcohol availability and over-consumption, and essential to protecting and promoting people’s right to health.

Despite the positive effect of MUP, recently found to have saved 268 lives each year since it was introduced, a dramatic increase in alcohol deaths across Scotland has still been reported in recent years.

Alcohol Focus Scotland’s chief executive added:

“When bold action is taken it saves lives, as we have seen with minimum unit price. The First Minister and his new team must act urgently to improve access to treatment and support and deliver on prevention, including by uprating the minimum unit price and by introducing meaningful marketing restrictions that protect people from being bombarded by alcohol ads.”

Specifically, the group calls for an increase in MUP to at least 65p per unit and the introduction of an Alcohol Harm Prevention Levy on alcohol retailers to help fund local prevention and support services.

The campaign points to pandemic changes to drinking habits – particularly among heavy drinkers – alongside reduced access to services as contributing to increased alcohol deaths.

Research into the pandemic’s potential impact on future alcohol-related harm suggests that worrying rises in harm and deaths may continue, even if drinking patterns return to pre-pandemic levels.

This campaign emphasises that the adverse impact of alcohol extends throughout society, affecting individuals struggling with alcohol, as well as family, friends and colleagues. It urges government to deliver restrictions to reduce young people's exposure to alcohol marketing.

Clinicians back the campaign

Medical professionals say they are worried that, if we don’t act now, we could be “turning back the clock 30 years” to when Scotland saw deaths rates reaching record levels.

Dr Catriona Morton, a GP and representative of the Royal College of GPs said that the normalisation of drinking, including advertising, presents a “significant barrier” to reducing consumption individually or societally. She adds that alcohol-related harms are at “crisis level” in Scotland:

“Each week, 700 people are hospitalised and 24 die as a result of alcohol, and the numbers of people whose lives are dominated by alcohol-related suffering is even greater.

“The everyday experience of many GPs is that patients are often unaware of the breadth or severity of the impact alcohol has upon their health.

“Much of the impact is borne by the most socio-economically deprived individuals and communities, contributing significantly to Scotland’s extremely poor record on health inequalities. Action is desperately needed to address the cause and effects of adverse alcohol consumption in Scotland.”

The total societal costs of alcohol in Scotland have been estimated at between £5-10b a year, including a £1.2 billion cost to the economy. Yet, the group say there has been little political attention on the increase in deaths and a lack of a proportionate response from Scottish government.

A variety of recovery-oriented alcohol services are called for in this campaign – from residential to community rehabilitation provision to specialist services, counselling, and peer support.

Dr David McCartney, lead clinician at the Lothians & Edinburgh Abstinence Programme (LEAP) said:

“As a country our response to our shameful alcohol deaths feels more like a whimper than a bang. In terms of urgency and resources, we really need to see a similar reaction to that around our country’s drug deaths.

“At the moment, things are getting worse. We’re seeing people presenting at services in poorer physical and mental health and with more complex needs. We need to see action to improve treatment access and to reduce harms; this will improve people’s lives and reduce pressure on our NHS.”

This campaign calls upon on the government to introduce Alcohol Care Teams in hospitals to identify people with underlying alcohol problems earlier.

Dr Alastair MacGilchrist, Chair of expert alcohol medical group, Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems added that Humza Yousaf and Scotland’s newly appointed Drug and Alcohol Policy Minister must “step up to the plate”:

“Instead of warm words recognising the public health emergency with alcohol harms in Scotland, we now need to see action. Clinicians see the impact of alcohol on patients day-in, day-out and, rightly, are calling the Scottish government out on this and are demanding urgent action.”

Beyond establishing Alcohol Care Teams in hospitals, the campaign highlights the need to improve identification and testing of patients at risk of liver disease in primary care to avoid hospitalisation.

Professor Ewan Forrest, Consultant Hepatologist at Glasgow Royal Infirmary said, while benefits of public health measures like MUP are welcomed, many people still end up in hospital from alcohol-related harm:

“Liver disease in particular is often only recognised when the damage is very severe. As a result, the outcomes are very poor and alcohol-related liver disease accounts for the majority of alcohol-specific deaths.

“We need to identify people at risk early and then ensure that they have access to effective alcohol treatment services. This requires resource and commitment. Such action will not only help individuals but will also benefit the NHS.”

Dr Seonaid Anderson, Consultant Addiction Psychiatrist, added that the political focus remains on Scotland’s drugs death crisis, while attention must go to both alcohol and drug-related harms.

Dr Anderson added:

“In the last few years, people with alcohol problems have tended to present later and their needs are increasingly complex as a result.

“There has been a significant reduction in the support available for these people and it is essential that investment in specialist services is prioritised to address this unmet need for individuals and their loved ones.”

Dr Anderson said that the success of measures like MUP should be built upon so people can avoid reaching the point of requiring specialist services.

Read more: Analysis: drugs and alcohol in Scottish health survey; RADAR system to spot drug death risks; Briefing: Cabinet Secretary plans for health and care; Analysis: Why people are left behind; Money matters for poverty and health in Scotland

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