In a controversial attempt to reduce growing alcoholism, the Scottish government yesterday announced plans to clamp down on low-price alcohol sales and fix a minimum price per unit of alcohol.

Edinburgh said cut-price deals that encourage bulk buying, such as 'three for the price of two' offers, would be banned. The display and marketing of alcohol too would be restricted to certain areas in stores.

The measures were outlined in a 42-page action plan called Changing Scotland's Relationship with Alcohol, after figures showed Scots to be the 8th heaviest drinkers in the world.

The plans were launched at a Glasgow hospital to underline the estimated 2.25-billion-pound cost of alcohol misuse in Scotland. Figures published last week showed that the number of hospital treatments for alcohol-related conditions hit a record 42,430 in 2007-2008.

Researchers found that almost 1,500 Scots were dying per year from alcohol-related problems.

Sales figures showed nearly 50 million litres of pure alcohol were drunk in 2007 - 11.8 litres for every person aged over 16. That is the equivalent of everyone over 16 drinking 570 pints of beer, or 125 bottles of wine, or 42 bottles of vodka.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said the scale of Scotland's alcohol problem was "shocking". Vowing to stop alcohol being sold for "pocket money prices", she said it was not acceptable that a man could drink his weekly recommended booze intake for just £3.50.

"Plummeting prices and aggressive promotion have led to a surge in consumption, causing and adding to health problems ranging from liver and heart diseases to diabetes, obesity, dementia and cancers," she said.

Justice secretary Kenny MacAskill said, "Cheap, readily available alcohol is fuelling violent crime and anti-social behaviour, as well as taking its toll on our economy and health service. That's why we are taking action to ban irresponsible promotions and make sure alcohol is sold at a sensible price that reflects the strength of the product."

It won't work
The government's move drew flak not only from the manufacturers but also from the opposition and the general public.

Fiona Moriarty, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said, "Irresponsible drinking is not about price or availability, yet this is the main focus of the government's approach. At a time when customers' finances are under severe pressure, it's incredible that the Scottish government believes voters will thank them for using the force of law to push up prices."

The whisky industry claimed the minimum price could be challenged under trade laws, while store bosses warned ordinary consumers would be clobbered unfairly and small shops would be forced to close.

Gavin Hewitt, chief executive of the Scotch Whisky Association, said, "We agree that attitudes to alcohol in Scotland need to change but minimum pricing is not the answer. It is hard to believe any Scottish government would bring forward proposals that are likely to be both illegal in international trade law and risk damaging the whisky industry."

Labour's justice spokesman Richard Baker said, "From their crackpot scheme to ban 18 to 20-year-olds from buying a bottle of wine in an off-licence to the lack of any measure to tackle anti-social or criminal behaviour, this framework is inadequate, unfair and unworkable."

The biggest change will be a legally enforceable minimum price, to be set later this year. It is expected to be about 40p per unit of alcohol. At that level, the price of cheap supermarket own-brand whisky would soar by more than 40 per cent.

Drinkers of spirits and strong cider will be hardest hit in the pocket by the moves, which are part of a radical package of measures. Big multi-packs of beer will also be affected. All price-related promotions will be banned.

The moves will be introduced using local licensing boards, which means members of the Scottish parliament will not even get the chance to vote on the matter.

However, the Scottish National Party has watered down other plans to crack down on booze, first outlined last year, such as raising the age for buying liquor from 'off-sales' to 21. But licensing boards will be allowed to impose local bans, and police chiefs will be given powers to request a local ban to cut trouble.