Action needed on alcohol misuse

A range of measures including targeting pricing and reinforcinglicensing laws is needed to counter alcohol misuse among young people, aspecial Children in Scotland conference has heard.

Unhappy Hours: A Culture of Binge-Drinking and Violence, held inFebruary, discussed how to shape robust alcohol policies to encourageresponsible drinking.

Health minister Andy Kerr, who spoke at the conference, told Children inScotland: "We need to raise awareness of the impact of alcohol onchildren and the rest of society, and understand that impact in healthterms."

The conference followed a call from a coalition of charities and expertgroups that the Executive prioritise research on foetal alcohol spectrumdisorder.

- www.childreninscotland.org.uk.