Key points on alcohol in Realising realistic medicine, the annual report of Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Catherine Calderwood:
- Alcohol sales in Scotland are around 20% higher than in England and Wales
- Sales have increased in Scotland over the last two years, after a fall between 2009 and 2013
- 10.8 litres of pure alcohol was sold, an average of 20.8 units a week, compared to the 14 unit guideline maximum
- 74% of alcohol was sold in supermarkets and off-licences, a record high
- There are around 22 deaths a week attributable to alcohol misuse, and an average of 674 hospital admissions
- Both deaths and hospital admissions remain many times higher than in the 1980s
Source: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0051/00514513.pdf