Talisker wrote:EricSeans wrote:Talisker wrote:EricSeans wrote:Talisker wrote:Dunno about whisky but........
Scots 'drink 46 bottles of vodka'Adults in Scotland are drinking the equivalent of 46 bottles of vodka each in a year, a study has suggested.
The research was based on industry sales data analysed by NHS Health Scotland.
It said sales for the year to September 2009 averaged 12.2 litres of pure alcohol per person over the age of 18.
The Scottish government said the figure, which had remained static since 2005, was the equivalent of 537 pints or 130 bottles of wine per person.
The new figures come as the Scottish government pushes for a minimum price for alcohol to tackle the country's drink-related problems.
Minimum pricing
In total, 50.5 million litres of pure alcohol were sold in Scotland last year, enough for every drinker over the age of 18 to exceed the weekly consumption guidelines.
People in Scotland drank 25% more alcohol per head of population than individuals in England and Wales, the figures suggested.
In England and Wales, the total for the same period was 9.7 litres per person.
Average weekly sales for Scottish drinkers were 26.5 units per person over the age of 18, equivalent to about 11 pints of beer or three bottles of wine.
In England and Wales, the figure was 21.8, slightly higher than the recommended weekly maximum for a man.
Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said it was time for critics of minimum pricing to "wake up" to the scale of Scotland's drink problem.
She added: "All the evidence tells us that the big rise in Scottish alcohol consumption in recent decades is closely linked with the 70% drop in alcohol's relative cost.
"As a consequence, our country now faces an unprecedented burden from alcohol-related health problems, crime and lost economic productivity, which runs into billions and which we are all paying for.
"Currently there is nothing to stop supermarkets selling alcohol more cheaply than bottled water and that's why it's possible to exceed the weekly drinking guidelines for a man for less than £3.50."
Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie MSP said: "I believe that alcohol abuse is the most important public health issue we face in Scotland today.
"We need to consider radical measures to reduce the level of problem drinking but minimum unit pricing is not the answer.
"The truth is that Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon are promoting a scheme that will increase the profits of the supermarkets, but won't provide a single penny for more police officers or alcohol treatment.
"The challenge now is for us to come up with something better. That is why we have created a commission under the chairmanship of Professor Sally Brown to consider ways of restricting cheap booze and tackling alcohol abuse."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8463333.stm
Proud or ashamed to be Scottish?
It's a stereotype that's sadly all too true. I'm a fan of Wee Nicola's minimum pricing strategy which of course the red rozette monkeys will reject simply because it's Scottish Government policy.
Our relationship with drink would surely change if a price hike was imposed (I can say this selfishly cos I've got a vineyard :) ) It's not as if we're looking at Scandinavian levels. Mind you, with that kind of tax we could start treating our elderly and vulnerable a bit better than worst in Europe. Ah, I forgot, that can't happen until the 90-minute patriots can be pursuaded to vote for a party that puts Scotland first and independence from the United Kingdom.
Vineyard - cool- where, surely not Scotland (yet!)?
Not Scotland yet, but that kind of climate's probably not far off.It's in Slovenia - great wee country that managed to see off a bullying invader.
Sounds fantastic, never been, but everything I've read, heard and seen of Slovenia is spectacular. Haven't had the pleasure of drinking wine from Slovenia before though. Do you export to UK?
Fantastic place and very diverse - three climatic conditions (Alpine, Continental and Mediterranean) for a place the size of Yorkshire. Discovered it while driving to Cyprus via former YU in 2005.
TBH it's too much for me to handle so the neighbour's been tending the vines, making the wine and bottling it and giving us a 20% deal on 2,500 litres, so we take back what we can in the Zafira, drinking some and flogging a few boxes to friends etc. But he's retiring so we're thinking of selling the vineyard along with the farm cottage and barn. Good price if interested
Here's the village: http://www.slovenia.info/en/-ctg-kraji/ ... 3840&lng=2
