Scottish licensees urged to help stamp out binge drinking

Licensees in Scotland are being urged to promote sensible drinking as part of a major new campaign to stamp out excessive alcohol consumption among the young.

The Scottish Executive has launched the new initiative, costing £1.5m, to help halt the growing trend of binge drinking which costs Scotland more than £1bn a year in lost productivity.

The new campaign will warn teenagers of the dangers of excessive drinking and more money will be given to regional alcohol action teams.

There will also be training for licensees and their staff on how to help prevent alcohol misuse.

Deputy Minister for Justice in Scotland, Richard Simpson, said: "Scotland has a serious problem with drunken and disorderly behaviour. This much is obvious to anyone walking down one of the main streets in Scotland's towns and cities late at night.

"Public safety demands that we take action to address this problem."

A Scottish Executive spokesman said barstaff would play a vital part in the process and would be offered training so they recognised the dangers of binge drinking and could serve customers more responsibly.

"Barstaff can play a part in helping the culture-shift," he said.

The campaign has been drawn up in partnership with health groups, the police and the drinks industry and will also include:

• a new £1.5m national campaign, involving TV advertising, to change attitudes to binge drinking
• specific action targeted at children and young people, including new resources for parents to discuss alcohol issues with their children, better education in schools and better early support when problems arise
• raising concerns with the UK Government over the advertising and marketing of drinks.

The director of drinks watchdog The Portman Group, Jean Coussins, welcomed the move.

She said: "We must encourage the three key factors of personal responsibility, consistent law enforcement and responsible marketing practices by the industry to achieve a culture where sensible drinking is the norm among those who choose to drink."

The Department of Health is currently working on an Alcohol Misuse Strategy for the rest of the UK. A Department of Health spokeswoman said: "We will be publishing the consultation document in the early part of this year. A fully workable project has to be in place by 2004."