SO the Scottish Government is happy at last that spending millions of pounds in the courts has won the right to apply a minimum price of 50p per unit of alcohol – to stop the poorest drinkers from becoming alcoholic.

I always opposed this plan on the basis that it would not work, because having worked in the drugs misuse field with young people for more than 50 years I know only too well that when you try to change the culture and behaviour of any group in society you always have unforeseen consequences further down the line, that most often make things even worse than they were.

The spin-off from this policy will of course give us winners and losers.

The winners – anyone who sells alcohol The entire increase in price of alcohol will be welcomed by retailers of alcohol because it means more profit to them, as this is not a tax increase, so the producers and retailers get all the added cost into their bank accounts, and not the Government as this is not a tax. A tax increase could have collected hundreds of millions in tax that could have been ring-fenced, to fund alcohol education, increase NHS budgets and alcohol treatment for those afflicted by alcohol misuse.

The white van men who will cross the border into England to bring back cheaper drink will also benefit.

The losers – they will be the young, usually poorest drinkers, who instead of drinking less will find other ways to afford their harmful drinking. There is nothing surer that that the highly successful, innovative drinks industry, given time, will be the providers of that.

The young, and poorer, drinkers deprived of their Buckfast and cheap cider will most likely turn to illicit drugs which are already cheaper than alcohol.

What could the Government have done that would be more effective? Make it illegal to sell wine in restaurants in 250 and 175 ml glasses which has led to the massive increase in wine drinking.

It could make it illegal for restaurants to massively increase their profits by charging at least a 300 per cent mark-up on alcohol, to boost their turnover and profit.

It could revisit the change that I proposed for the last alcohol bill which was to make it the law that every establishment selling alcohol should automatically provide free tap water before serving any customer. The Government botched that proposal by wording that proposal in such a way that customers had to ask for free water, so missing a chance to make a real cultural change in our Scottish drinking habits.

Max Cruickshank,

13 Iona Ridge, Hamilton.

THE news that the Scottish Government has been given the green light to slap a minimum price on alcohol is surely the worst kind of nanny state-ism. Essentially, we are saying to the rest of the world that Scots must be treated like children and are not fit to make their own decisions.

Under the plans, the cheapest bottle of whisky will now sell at £14, compared to the £11-£12 that a bottle can be picked up for at the moment. To most drinkers, £2 or £3 won’t make a massive difference but pensioners and those on low incomes will be hit disproportionality. Is it fair that they should pay for the minority who abuse alcohol?

I believe this is another example of government and media elites being badly out of touch with public opinion. Hardly a dissenting voice was raised in Holyrood against this plan, which was backed by the full force of the powerful health lobby.

Mark my words, this is just the start. It won’t be long before bottles of whisky carry health warnings – a strange way to treat one of our most successful industries.

Anne Scott,

104 Durward Avenue, Shawlands, Glasgow.

THE Scottish Government has certainly been busy of late. Banning parents from smacking their kids, apologising to gay people for convictions under past laws, banning wild animals from travelling circuses and now the minimum alcohol charge. All very worthy causes, at least in the minds of politicians and the respective campaign groups. However one wonders when it will turn its attention to the issues that concern the majority of Scots? Trivial matters such as our lagging economy, stalling property market, falling education standards and struggling NHS.

Guy Robertson,

Julian Avenue, Glasgow.