scotPHO introduction:
  Alcohol
  Introduction
  Policy context
  Data
  Data introduction
  Adult alcohol consumption
  Adults exceeding sensible limits
  Adult problem drinking
  Children alcohol consumption
  Children problem drinking
Social harm
  Health harm
  Deaths
  Treatment issues
  Key data sources
  References
  Useful links
  Diet & Nutrition
  Drugs
  Multiple Risk Factors
  Physical Activity
  Sexual Health
  Tobacco Use
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Alcohol: social harm

  • Alcohol was estimated to cost Scotland £1.1 billion in 2002/03. Estimated costs for Scotland were: health service (£110.5 million); social work (£96.7 million); criminal justice (£276.7 million); wider economic costs (£417.8 million) and human costs (£223.8 million) (Scottish Executive 2005).
  • Chart 1 shows that recorded offences for drunkenness in Scotland have been falling in recent years. The number of offences of drunkenness recorded by the police fell from 9,773 to 6,984 between financial years 1996/97 and 2005/06. In contrast, however, there has been almost a 4 times rise in offences of drinking in designated (prohibited) places ( from 6,561 in 1996/97 to 25,335 in 2005/06) in Scotland. These trends will be affected by changes to bye-laws relating to drinking in public spaces (Scottish Executive 2005/06).
  • There were an estimated 710 drunk driving accidents in Scotland in 2004, a decrease from 820 in 2002.
  • Chart 2 shows that in 2004, there were an estimated 1,060 drunk drive accident casualties compared with 1,272 in 2002.
  • In 2004, approximately 1 in 7 deaths on Scotland's roads were caused by drunk driving: 40 people killed as a result of drunk driving in Scotland (total number of people who died in road accidents was 306) (Scottish Executive 2005).
  • Her Majesty's Chief Inspector for Fire Services for ScotlandPDF Buttonreported that, in 2005/06, 61 people died in Scotland as a result of fire. The misuse of alcohol was a direct contributory factor in 14 (26%) fatal fires and an indirect factor in a further 5 (9%).
  • In 1999, alcohol was reported to be involved in the majority of assaults reported by respondents to the Scottish Crime Survey with a male offenders more likely to be under the influence of alcohol (69%) than female (30%) (Scottish Executive Central Research Unit 2000).
  • The Scottish Executive publication, Homicide in Scotland, 2005/06, reported that of the 139 people accused of homicide in 2005/06, 26 (19%) were drunk and 13 (9%) were drunk or under the influence of drugs. The intoxication status was not known for 22(16%) people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Chart 1

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Chart 2

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