Border Alcohol

Members of the public are being asked to give their opinion on the future of drinking alcohol in public places in the Scottish Borders.

Scottish Borders Council is urging everyone to put forward their views on the Byelaws, which could see fines of up to £500 for drinking in public places.

The Byelaws would not apply for the Border Common Ridings, summer festivals and Hogmanay or New Years Eve.

The Scottish Borders is the only local authority in Scotland not to have such Byelaws in place.

The enagaement process opens at 5pm this evening (17th June) and closes at midnight on 29th November 2013.

You can submit your views on the proposed byelaws here.

A legal challenge to the Scottish Government's plans to introduce minimum pricing per unit of alcohol has failed.

A petition led by the Scotch Whisky Assosiation was refused at Scotland's highest civil court.

It was argued that the law breaches the UK's European Union treaty obligations because it would restrain trade.

The ruling clears the way for the introduction of the minimum pricing policy.

Under the plans, the cheapest bottle of wine would be £4.69 and a four-pack of lager would cost at least £3.52.

Scottish Health Secretary Alex Neil said:

"We welcome today's favourable opinion from the Court of Session on minimum unit pricing of alcohol.

"We have always believed minimum unit pricing is the right thing to do to tackle Scotland's problematic relationship with alcohol.

"Minimum unit pricing will target cheap alcohol relative to strength that is favoured by hazardous and harmful drinkers, and which contributes to much of the alcohol-related harm we see in Scotland.

"We now look forward to being able to implement minimum unit pricing and making that transformational change in Scotland's relationship with alcohol."

Health experts in Cumbria are backing the Governments call for a minimum price per unit for alcohol.

Alcohol abuse is said to account for a higher than average admissions to hospital and is responsible for more than half of all violent crimes.

Andy Burn has the full report:

Health experts in Cumbria are backing the Governments call for a minimum price per unit for alcohol.

Alcohol abuse is said to account for a higher than average admissions to hospital and is responsible for more than half of all violent crimes.

People across Cumbria will have the opportunity to discuss any concerns they have about alcohol, during a live webchat.

The chat is part of alcohol awareness week and offers people the chance to discuss issues such as the effect alcohol has, and drink driving laws.

The chat will take place between 10am and 12pm, with representatives from NHS Cumbria and Cumbria Police responding to questions.

People can join in by visiting the Cumbria Police website.

The complete webchat will be posted online afterwards.

Ambulance services in Southern Scotland attend hundreds of alcohol related incidents each year. In the last three years figures have been up to 425 incidents in Dumfries and Galloway. In the Borders, over the last three years, there's been more than 220 incidents a year.

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Jackson Carlaw MSP said:

"Ambulance workers face a tough enough job without alcohol being thrown in the mix as such an unnecessary ingredient.

"This poses huge challenges not only from a health point of view, but also a law and order one.

"Whether it is someone who has consumed too much meaning their stomach has to be pumped, or a violent clash ignited by a drinking binge, these are all avoidable incidents.

"We need get a handle on alcohol-related disorder, because people will look at these worsening statistics and not accept that crime is at its lowest in three decades.

"And given paramedics only record alcohol as a factor if they have time and if it is an overwhelming factor, the true picture is surely far graver than this.

"Hopefully when alcohol minimum pricing is brought in we can see a change in these kinds of statistics."

MSPs have voted to back plans for minimum pricing. It means Scotland will become the first part of the UK to set a floor price for alcohol of 50p per unit.

Ministers say the policy - which is aimed at tackling drink fuelled violence and health problems - will be ditched after six years if it doesn't work.

MSPs will vote today on the Scottish Government's plans to bring in a mininum price for alcohol.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon wants to set a price of 50p per unit.

Ms Sturgeon said

It is estimated that the country's alcohol problems cost £3.56billon each year MSPs voted to back the general principles of the bill at its first stage in March.

But the Labour party abstained saying minimum pricing will punish those who are less well off.