SCOTTISH ALCOHOL TRADE CALLS FOR A POSITIVE POLICY PLATFORM TO BOOST POST-COVID RECOVERY
The Scottish Alcohol Industry Partnership, an alliance of Scotland’s distillers, brewers, hospitality and retail businesses, has called for Scottish Parliamentary candidates to commit to a positive policy agenda to accelerate progress in tackling alcohol harm, while supporting the crucial economic recovery of the industry.
SAIP member companies and organisations represent sectors employing a total of 340,000 people in Scotland, with almost 90,000 of those jobs depending on the making, marketing and selling of alcohol, generating £6billion for the Scottish economy, pre-COVID, including being the country’s leading exporter, largest customer of agriculture and the leader in growing tourism.
The SAIP Scottish Parliamentary Election Manifesto calls on prospective candidates in the May election to recognise the crucial role the industry has to play in the post-COVID recovery and to support a more balanced approach to alcohol policy.
The SAIP has three key asks aimed at accelerating efforts to tackle alcohol harm, while simultaneously helping the sector to recover from the COVID crisis and contribute positively to jobs and prosperity for the future. They are:
Support the Recovery: Help drive economic recovery by not introducing new regulations that add complexity, cost or limit our ability to engage with our customers.
Shift Focus to tackle harmful drinking: More targeted interventions that focus on harmful drinking rather than whole population measures.
Work together: Recognise the progress made in improving Scotland’s relationship with alcohol and work with us to further reduce harmful drinking.
The manifesto points out the COVID pandemic has reinforced pre-existing trends in alcohol consumption in Scotland. 77% of Scots drink within government guidelines or do not drink at all. During COVID the vast majority of the population either reduced or maintained the same level of drinking. However, the minority of people who drank at harmful levels pre-COVID had a tendency to drink more. The SAIP is therefore calling on prospective parliamentarians to commit to targeted policy interventions to tackle harmful drinking.
“We want a positive partnership with our future parliamentarians and Scottish Government so we can focus on tackling alcohol harm and accelerate the positive changes we are seeing in Scotland’s relationship with alcohol, whilst also safeguarding the jobs and economic security that the industry brings for tens of thousands of people across Scotland.”
SAIP spokesperson Dr John Lee, Chair of the SAIP Campaigns Group, said: “We want a positive partnership with our future parliamentarians and Scottish Government so we can focus on tackling alcohol harm and accelerate the positive changes we are seeing in Scotland’s relationship with alcohol, whilst also safeguarding the jobs and economic security that the industry brings for tens of thousands of people across Scotland.”
The SAIP will be engaging directly with prospective candidates during the election period to seek their support for Scotland’s alcohol industry.
For further information, please contact Dr John Lee on 07794 237326
The manifesto can be found here.
Notes to editors
1. The Scottish Alcohol Industry Partnership (SAIP) is a partnership of alcoholic beverage producers and representatives of the on-trade and off-trade in Scotland which includes: Diageo, BII Scotland, National Association of Cidermakers, Molson Coors, TLT, Scottish Beer & Pub Association, Heineken, Bacardi, Pernod Ricard, Scotch Whisky Association, Scottish Licensed Trade Association, Wine & Spirit Trade Association, Scottish Retail Consortium, Whyte & Mackay, Scottish Grocers’ Federation and Portman Group.
2. It provides a platform for the alcohol industry to promote responsible drinking and contribute towards tackling alcohol-related harm.
3. In addition to this campaign, the SAIP runs a number of other programmes, namely the promotion of the 125ml wine measure in the on-trade; the ‘You’re Asking For It’ campaign to tackle proxy purchase; Drinkaware at Work campaign in collaboration with Drinkaware to support employees in making informed choices about their drinking; the ‘Confidence & Responsibility’ campaign to support safe socialising in pubs and bars as we move out of the COVID19 lockdown and the ‘Keep Track, Cut Back’ campaign which aims to support those who are concerned about their own drinking or that of someone they are close to.
4. Dr John Lee is Head of Public Affairs at the Scottish Grocer’s Federation and is the Chair of the SAIP Campaigns Group.
5. References:
a) Economic Impact Report of Scottish Alcohol Sector: BiGGAR Economics 2021
b) Scottish Health Survey 2019
c) Drinkaware Monitor 2020: Focus on Scotland
