Dear Spurtle
The Scottish Government's proposal of a mere 50p minimum cost per unit of alcohol clearly indicates that they are not taking the dangers of alcohol seriously. It is a tokenistic gesture which, whilst providing a major financial boost to alcohol retailers and manufacturers, will do nothing to improve the health and wellbeing of all our citizens.
The vast majority of people with even a modest income but basic money management skills will, to the detriment of us all, continue to imbibe this noxious and toxic drug in as large a quantity as they desire.
The optimum option for our public health is to ban alcohol completely and socially engineer a Zero Tolerance attitude to its consumption, sale and manufacture.
In the short term, a minimum price of say £100 per unit would genuinely deter all but the idle rich who, like the feckless poor, are not of major benefit to society and can be considered similarly expendable.
Yours sincerely
John Eoin Douglas
(Spey Terrace)