The latest weapon in booze fight . . queues

SHOPPERS face standing in separate supermarket queues to buy alcohol under the latest crackdown on Scotland's drinking culture.

The proposal is being considered by ministers as part of a long-term strategy on alcohol misuse, due to be published shortly.

Individual checkouts in stores for buying alcohol already exist in Ireland, and are designed to reduce the spontaneous purchase of drink – in the same way that cigarettes are sold separately.

Edinburgh's outgoing drugs and alcohol tsar, Tom Wood, has told city councillors that he expects to see ideas like this in a new national strategy, and government sources today confirmed that it was one option being considered.

In a wide-ranging speech, Mr Wood – a former Lothian and Borders deputy chief constable – also told councillors that the "drunken Scotsman" had become the country's "national brand".

"We used to be known for our engineering, but now we are known as a nation of party-goers," he said.

"Drug-taking and heavy alcohol use is normal in many parts of society in our city."

Mr Wood said the way to tackle Scotland's drinking culture was to get the price of drink right – not too high or low – as well as restricting the availability of alcohol.

"Alcohol should not be like bread and milk and sold at every corner shop," he said.

"We've got to consider the over-supply – sometimes there are shops selling alcohol on three of the four corners of an Edinburgh street."

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has already proposed a ban on cut-price promotions in off-licences, urged tough action on licensed premises which sell to underage drinkers and persuaded MSPs to back stricter controls on the display of alcohol in shops and supermarkets.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said today: "This Government has already passed regulations to bring in separate display areas for alcohol when the Licensing Act comes fully into force in September 2009, to remind people that alcohol is not an everyday product like milk or bread.

"We are currently working on a longer term strategic approach to tackling our culture of alcohol misuse and will bring forward proposals for consultation this summer. At this stage nothing is ruled either in or out."

But Graham Bell, spokesman for the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, said more regulation in shops was not the best way forward, and said separate checkouts "won't work".

"Alcohol is the most destructive drug in Scotland, and the issue should be about educating people and promoting healthy lifestyles – not about further restrictions or putting us into separate queues," he said.

"The carrot is always better than the stick. People are more likely to engage with something which offers support."

The Government's long-term alcohol strategy will look at a range of issues such as availability, accessibility and age of purchase.

Ministers are unlikely to push for a general raising of the current 18 age limit because they believe drinking in the controlled surroundings of a pub or hotel is not such a problem.

But a higher age limit of 21 on buying alcohol from off-licences and supermarkets is seen as a way of helping to tackle the problem of binge-drinking and antisocial behaviour.