Date: 18 September 2009 BROCKLEBANK : ALCOHOL-RELATED DEATH RATE VERY WORRYING The Scottish Government has recently released figures relating to Scotland’s alcohol-related death rate in 2008. These have shown that only nine Scottish parliamentary constituencies and, worse still, only one NHS Health Board area were below the overall UK average alcohol-related death rate.
The news is better in North East Fife where the alcohol-related death rate is only 77% of the UK average. However, the death rate in the NHS Fife Health Board area sits well above the UK average at 139%.
Commenting on the figures, Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Ted Brocklebank, said;
“These figures are appalling and highlight the terrible depth of Scotland’s alcohol problem. While I am pleased that North East Fife is one of the few areas in Scotland that sits below the UK average alcohol-related death rate this does little to mask the problem that we face across the rest of Fife and Scotland.
“Far too many individuals with alcohol problems are currently placed on a waiting list when they ask for treatment and support. This is just not good enough. The SNP Government must stop relying on blanket minimum pricing as the solution to the problem. What we really need are measures which address Scotland’s alcohol problem that are actually based in evidence not hope.”
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