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A Scottish police unit has backed calls to introduce minimum alcohol pricing, as well as backing stricter licencing laws, in a bid to help reduce violent crime in Scotland.
The Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) has said that Scotland is currently overrun with off-licences and bars in its towns and cities.
It has asked for the police to be allowed to have a more important role in making decisions about licencing, adding that anyone who commits violent acts while under the influence of alcohol should be removed of their ‘right to drink’.
The VRU, which was set up by Strathclyde Police in 2005, and is now part of Police Scotland, has been credited with helping Glasgow get rid of its ‘murder capital of Europe’ tag, something they achieved by approaching gang violence as a public health issue.
VRU’s acting director, Will Linden, has said that Scotland would not be able to copy continental Europe’s ‘café culture’, because of the country’s long-established alcohol issues.
He said that he would like to see an evidence-based approach to tackling licencing, and to see Scotland move away from its current structure, where economic priorities see city centres which are filled with both on and off-sales.
He said: ‘We’re not calling for closing them down just now but when new licences are considered, they should be considered based on the impact they will have on a community or local area by looking at levels of crime and levels of health and deprivation’
He added that Scotland spoke years ago about introducing a café culture. He said that if people want a café culture, then they have to stop opening pubs, going on to say that we have a different relationship with alcohol to continental Europe, which makes it difficult to import a European system into Scotland.
The Government is currently at war with the Scotch Whisky Association over plans to introduce minimum pricing. A hearing on the matter is due to take place in July at the Supreme Court in London.
Mr Linden has cited alarming figures of alcohol being involved in 70% of all violence in Scotland, and 60% of all homicides, adding: ‘We should be looking at over provision because we already have too many licensed premises in Scotland. This is not about prohibition – alcohol is part of our culture – but we need a sensible debate’.
A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said that it has introduced a framework for action which has over 40 measures which are in place to help reduce the rate of harm caused by alcohol in Scotland. The measures include minimum pricing per unit alcohol, a ban on discounts for buying alcohol in bulk, a lower drink drive limit, improved substance misuse education, as well as a ban on irresponsible alcohol promotions.
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