Alcohol consumption in the UK has more than doubled since 1950. Many Scots enjoy alcohol sensibly, but many others do not.
The social, health and economic impacts of alcohol misuse are significant. The misuse of alcohol costs the Scottish economy around £2.25 billion each year; many communities are affected by alcohol-related anti-social behaviour and more than 40,000 people are hospitalised each year through alcohol-related illness.
A consultation ran between June and September 2008. It set out a package of measures to help reduce alcohol-related harm in Scotland. The responses to the consultation are now being analysed.