It could even be argued that we’re doing our bit for the Highlands as the alcohol industry creates jobs and makes a lot of money for the Highland economy. Alcohol is seen as part of our culture, however, the more affordable, available and acceptable alcohol has become, the more people are drinking.
A third of men and a fifth of women in Highland are drinking above the recommended weekly limit and are therefore putting their health at risk.
The immediate effects of harmful drinking can be seen in accident and emergency departments across the country. These range from intoxication to poisoning and injuries as a result of accidents to injuries sustained as a result of violence fuelled by alcohol. In the longer term, people who drink above the recommended limits increase their risk of liver disease, heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes and certain types of cancers.
NHS Highland Director of Public Health, Dr Margaret Somerville, explained that, over the past 10 years, the rate of hospital admission as a result of harmful alcohol use has increased significantly. There is also concern that the percentage of 15 year olds who have drunk alcohol in Highland is higher than the Scottish average - 88% for Highland compared to a Scottish average of 78%.
Dr Somerville said: “Most of us would agree that something needs to be done to tackle the problem with alcohol in the Highlands and in Scotland as a whole.
“The World Health Organisation says the most effective measures to reduce alcohol consumption are controls on price and availability and challenging society’s acceptance of excessive drinking.
“The Scottish Government has stated that minimum pricing will be introduced from next year to make strong, cheap alcohol less affordable. Other measures to make alcohol less available include bans on discounted bulk buy promotions.”
She added that the Licensing Act (Scotland) 2005, which came into effect in 2009, introduced five core licensing objectives, one of which requires each licensing board to consider the impact of the availability of alcohol on public health.
Another requirement of the act is that, from October 1 this year, all licensing applications in Scotland have to be sent to the relevant Director of Public Health for their opinion.
Dr Somerville said: “NHS Highland is working with The Highland Council Licensing Board to provide members with information on the health effects of alcohol. The public health department provided a report on rates of hospital admissions attributable to alcohol for all 22 wards within The Highland Council area.
“At present, there is no single methodology for calculating overprovision, but NHS Highland believes that excessively high levels of alcohol related harm to health indicate harmful and high levels of alcohol consumption in those areas.
“Such high levels of consumption occur because alcohol is both widely available and affordable in these areas. We therefore consider such areas to be overprovided.”
The wards identified as being overprovided are Caol and Mallaig, Cromarty Firth, Dingwall and Seaforth, Eilean a' Chèo, Fort William and Ardnamurchan, Inverness Central, Inverness, Millburn, Inverness Ness-Side, Inverness West, Landward Caithness, Thurso and Wick.
Dr Somerville said: “NHS Highland is keen for the licensing board to consider the potential effect on the health of local people when granting licenses in these areas.
“And we can all do our bit to help change the drinking culture in the Highlands by keeping within the sensible drinking limits.
“Drinking sensibly means you’re likely to sleep better, feel happier, have more energy, save money, feel more positive, have less accidents and injuries and argue less - all essential ingredients for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.”
Inspector Tom Ogilvie said: “Northern Constabulary acknowledges the fact that people tend to drink more at this time of year and we would urge them to exercise caution in terms of the amount they drink.
“We run operations in every Area Command to mitigate the effects of over indulgence in alcohol. The Force is also taking part in the national anti-drink drive campaign to ensure the public are safer on the roads during the festive season and to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured.
“The general message, therefore, is to moderate your drinking and stay safe during the festive period, making it a season to remember rather than forget.”
Are you drinking more units than is healthy? Add up what you’re drinking using the unit calculator on the Alcohol Focus Scotland website at http://www.drinksmarter.org/handy-tools/unit-calculator
