• Nursing Union Support for Minimum Pricing Welcomed

    January 28, 2010

    The SNP Candidate for Dundee West in the forthcoming General Election, Councillor Jim Barrie, Social Work & Health Convenor at Dundee Council, has welcomed the support of  The Royal College of Nursing for minimum pricing for alcohol as the consensus in favour of the measure in the Scottish Government’s Alcohol Bill grows day by day.

    RCN Scotland, which has 38,000 members in Scotland is lobbying in support of the Scottish Government’s proposed radical legislation on alcohol which would change the way in which alcohol is sold and introduce minimum pricing controls.

    Jim Barrie said: “The RCN in Scotland has over 38,000 members and are major influencers on the health debate in Scotland and I am delighted that they have joined the overwhelming consensus building in support of the Scottish Government’s policy.

    “The entire medical profession, the police, the licensed trade – even the all-party Health Select Committee at Westminster are in favour of the measure, yet Labour, the Lib Dems and Tories in Scotland continue to block it.

    “Recently, a Dundee-based Labour MSP while agreeing that the problems of alcohol abuse were extremely serious, in fact, ‘bigger than the original official figures indicate’ demanded action to tackle the problem, then suggested education was the solution.

    “The problem is acute precisely because education alone has failed over several decades to change behaviour. Frankly, it is for Labour, Lib Dem and Tory politicians to explain why they are at odds with expert medical opinion and the overwhelming majority of those professional bodies who advocate minimum pricing as a bold measure that will help to tackle the massive impact of alcohol abuse.”