News and Press

Has Scotland Reached its Alcohol Tipping Point?

14 Jul 2011

Despite research showing that alcohol consumption continues to rise at a higher rate in Scotland than anywhere else in the UK, are we as a nation beginning to recognise that we drink too much?

In a recent comment piece in The Herald newspaper titled - Push the Pause Button on Drinking - journalist Mark Smith asks this very question.

Though figures show that Scotland’s per capita consumption of alcohol remains among the highest in the world, new figures soon to be released by the NHS Information Centre are expected to show that the number of teenagers who remain abstinent from alcohol are also set to increase.

Many teenagers and young adults are waiting until later in life before they begin drinking, or choosing to voluntarily undertake more periods of abstinence once they've started. In Australia a social media campaign - Hello Sunday Morning - has gained national media exposure and several thousand people have already signed up to participate.

Established by Chris Raine, a 23 year old former heavy drinker, Hello Sunday Morning encourages young Australians to give up alcohol for a period of 3 months.

The popularity of such a campaign, which has no political or religious bias, is a clear indicator that younger people are beginning to recognise the dangers posed by our causal relationship with alcohol.

While there are some positive statistics which suggest alcohol consumption is reducing slightly, hospital admission figures, and those seeking help for alcohol related conditions continue to rise. It is these figures which ultimately show that much more needs to be done in Scotland’s fight to reduce alcohol’s harm.

Mark’s comment piece, Push the Pause Button on Drinking, can be read here.

The Hello Sunday Morning site can be found here.