"Excessive drinking habits have led to a sharp rise in alcohol-related disease in England over the past five years. The rise has led to demands for the drinks industry to be subjected to more stringent regulations. Moves could include bans on advertising and the imposition of minimum prices. The calls follow the release of statistics to the Liberal Democrats by the Department of Health. Figures show that since 2004 there has been a 17.2 per cent increase in alcoholic-related liver disease, to 14,500 cases last year. A quarter of people in England aged 16 and over can now be classified as hazardous drinkers." - Observer
"Controversial plans for minimum prices for alcohol in Scottish shops and off-sales are set to become reality. The Scottish government's flagship reform, which is aimed at cutting consumption and improving the nation's health, is likely to be supported by Labour at Holyrood, the Sunday Herald has learned. Labour's endorsement would ensure a parliamentary majority for the forthcoming Alcohol Bill, despite fierce opposition from Conservative MSPs and many in the business community. The Bill's central proposal will be the setting of a minimum price of around 40p for each unit of alcohol sold in off-sales, shops and supermarkets." - Sunday Herald
"Rock star Jools Holland and a leading landowner have clashed over the future of a pub that hosted stars of the music TV show The Tube. Developers say that the entire site could be razed by the end of the year after owners Buccleuch Property, whose chairman is Richard Scott, the 10th Duke of Buccleuch and 12th Duke of Queensberry, revealed they are losing tens of thousands of pounds every month on the site. But Holland said it would be an 'absolute tragedy' if the Egypt Cottage, one of Newcastle's oldest pubs, was demolished. 'Everyone - the likes of Miles Davis, Paul McCartney - who came up for The Tube will have sat in that pub,' he said." - Daily Telegraph
"'Binge drinking', a vice more commonly associated with British tourists, has become a national controversy in Italy, a country that has traditionally taken a moderate approach to alcohol. Police were this weekend patrolling historic piazzas in Rome to enforce a summer ban on drinking alcohol in the streets, put into effect after months of drunken mob scenes. The Italian language has no word for 'hangover' or 'pub crawl', but six organised crawls now wind their way around Rome on a nightly basis." - Observer