Middle class professionals who relax with a bottle of wine in the evening are now more likely to drink to excess than those in working class jobs, according to official figures. Married couples are also more likely to drink more often than singletons, the figures from the NHS Information Centre show - The Telegraph
Fewer schoolchildren are consuming alcohol but deaths from excessive drinking are rising steadily, according to the latest government statistics. The figures, revealing a surge in prescriptions for medicines to treat alcoholism and a slight decrease in overall consumption, suggest that awareness of the health dangers and, possibly, the recession may be having some impact - The Guardian
Holyrood's health committee has urged the Scottish government to specify what minimum price it would set for alcohol. The committee's report on the government's alcohol bill acknowledges the scale of the problem but MSPs are divided over whether the key measure of minimum pricing would be effective - BBC
Alcoholic drinks with a high caffeine content, such as ¬Buckfast, should be banned, according to a Labour Party report on Scotland's relationship with alcohol. Labour want the Scottish Government to set a limit on the amount of caffeine in alcohol to help tackle the nation's drink problem. The party is calling for a caffeine limit of 150mg per litre, which would effectively remove Buckfast tonic wine from shops unless the content was reduced from its present 375mg per litre - The Herald