Matt Lambert, CEO of the Portman Group – the alcohol social responsibility body and marketing regulator said:
“We were pleased to see that alcohol-related ambulance callouts fell by nearly a quarter overall, but it is unfortunate that they continued to make up 16% of incidents. We echo the Scottish ambulance service in encouraging the public to drink moderately, to look after themselves and others around them, and not put additional pressure on emergency services at this very challenging time.
“For over a decade there have been significant falls in alcohol harms such as violent crime, anti-social behaviours, binge drinking and underage drinking. Against this background it would be disproportionate to enact further marketing restrictions on alcohol, such as ‘alcohol curtains’, which only unfairly target responsible consumers and businesses, rather than address the real issue of harmful alcohol consumption by a minority and provide the necessary support to those who need it.”
Response on National Records of Scotland figures on alcohol deaths in 2020
Matt Lambert, CEO of the Portman Group – the alcohol social responsibility body and marketing regulator said:
“We are seeing a tragic pattern as a result of the pandemic, and these figures reinforce previous data on those drinking at the most harmful rates. The reasons for this are complex and likely the result of people being cut off from the social and professional support they need. The focus should be to target support for those who are the most vulnerable.’
Matt Lambert, CEO of the Portman Group – the alcohol social responsibility body and marketing regulator said:
“The study’s own researchers admit that there is inconclusive evidence that health warnings and pictorial images would have any impact on people’s behaviour. This is an extreme proposal attempting to frighten adults whose drinking is unlikely to harm their health, given that the moderate majority in Scotland drink below the CMO’s guidance of 14 units a week.
“For over 25 years the Portman Group through its Code, training, best practice and advice has ensured that alcohol is marketed responsibly and discourages depictions of negative drinking behaviours. The industry is well regulated and there is no need to waste any more government time creating mandatory labels when the vast majority of products already voluntarily show ABV, pregnancy warning labels, directions to Drinkaware and increasingly providing additional advice including the Chief Medical Officer low risk level. Instead, we should collectively focus our efforts on stronger measures targeted to help those drinking at harmful rates.”
Response to the Scottish Government’s snapshot Scottish Health Survey
Matt Lambert, CEO of the Portman Group, the social responsibility and regulatory body for alcohol in the UK, has responded to the Scottish Government’s latest snapshot Scottish Health Survey. He commented:
“Scotland has made significant strides in lowering people’s alcohol consumption, and the Scottish Government’s snapshot suggests good news. For over a decade harmful drinking patterns, such as binge drinking, have decreased and people are having more drink free days each week.
“These results echo our own research which shows that the moderate majority of Scots drink sensibly and responsibly.”