Scotland’s lowest earners ‘suffer most’ from local access to alcohol

Scotland’s poorest people “suffer most” from the easy availability of alcohol in their local area, according to recent research.

Scotland’s poorest people are disproportionately affected by the availability of alcohol in their neighbourhood

Researchers from University of Glasgow and the University of Edinburgh studied links between alcohol consumption and income in Scotland, and found that those on the lowest incomes are disproportionately affected by the availability of alcohol in their neighbourhood.

The study found that the likelihood of those on the lowest incomes drinking too much increases in line with the availability of alcohol in their local area.

By contrast, the amount of alcohol consumed by people on the highest incomes is far less affected by the number of outlets near their homes.

According to the researchers, this could be driven by “many factors”, including that those on a low-income “may spend more time in their local areas and be more reliant on these neighbourhoods”.

The team combined data on the number of alcohol outlets in town and cities in Scotland with details from a national health survey of more than 28,000 people.

Findings suggest that initiatives to reduce drinking which focus exclusively on a consumer’s behaviour – such as media campaigns and warning labels – are “unlikely to make significant improvements” to health.

The team argue that changes should be made to reduce the availability of alcohol.

The researchers previously found that there are more premises selling alcohol in the poorest parts of Scotland than in the wealthiest areas, and that the poorest areas have the highest levels of consumption and alcohol-related harm.

“Reducing alcohol-related harm is a key public health priority and Scotland is leading the way with the implementation of a minimum unit price,” said Dr Niamh Shortt of the University of Edinburgh’s School of GeoSciences.

“There is however more to be done. Low-income groups suffer most from alcohol-related harm, and our research shows that they are also at the greatest risk from its ubiquitous availability in our neighbourhoods. Alongside price, we need to address the easy availability of alcohol.

The study is published in the journal Annals of the American Association of Geographers and funded by The European Research Council and the Scottish Collaboration for Public Health Research and Policy.

Last month, health secretary Shona Robison confirmed that the minimum unit price (MUP) for alcohol in Scotland will be set at 50p following a public consultation.