Stores selling lager for as little as 25p a can 'put children's lives at risk'

A SUPERMARKET price war is putting children's lives at risk with cut-price alcohol.

With cans of own-brand lager available from 25p when bought in large packs, and well-known brands such as Tennent's from 44p, critics say youngsters can easily afford to buy alcohol.

And because it is so cheap, under-age children can ask older teenagers to buy it for them, and then give them a can or two as a thank-you.

But supermarkets refuse to act, claiming that if they take a stance the trade will just go elsewhere. And they say they cannot form a pact to increase prices due to competition laws.

A senior youth worker yesterday demanded action from the Scottish Government to stop supermarkets putting profits before the problem of youth drinking.

Peter Crory, the national general secretary of YMCA Scotland, said drink prices had to rise to prevent children developing alcohol problems. "We cannot afford for our young people to have the perception they are of less value than supermarket businesses," he said.

"An awful lot of under-age drinkers are fuelled by alcohol that is bought from subsidised sales in supermarkets.

It is very easy if you are 14 to get someone who is of age to buy it for you."

He said the YMCA in Scotland had seen a large number of young teenagers whose lives could be ruined by drink before they were even legally old enough to purchase it.

He added it was crucial to make the anti-drinking message to youngsters a consistent one, and not make exceptions for big sporting or community events. He said: "How can we expect young people to understand why they cannot drink in the park on a Tuesday night when it is acceptable in full view of adults on a Saturday afternoon?"

Jack Law, the chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, agreed supermarkets had to acknowledge that they were contributing to Scotland's growing alcohol problem. He said: "Two litre bottles of strong cider for less than £2 is well within children's pocket money budgets and much cheaper 'entertainment' for a night compared with going to the cinema or sports centre.

"As well as the damage young people are doing to their developing bodies, under-age drinking is taking its toll on families and communities, and it is police and emergency departments who are often left to pick up the pieces.

"The government cannot allow supermarket profits to come before public health."

He called for minimum prices for alcohol, with different levels for on- and off-licences, and the stricter enforcement of laws relating to sales to the under-18s and those buying on behalf of under-18s.

Kenny MacAskill, the justice secretary, said he would target retailers selling alcohol to under-18s, and that new regulations would ensure supermarkets sold alcohol in designated areas, to ensure it is not seen as something to pick up with a pint of milk or a loaf of bread.

"Tackling alcohol misuse is a key priority for the Scottish Government and we are taking a range of measures – legislative and non-legislative – to combat under-age drinking," he said.

He vowed to increase the penalties for those who sell drink to children, but said he recognised the law alone would not solve the problem.

"Our strategic framework on alcohol will include a range of measures, including tackling irresponsible promotions in off-sales and other measures designed to change the culture around alcohol in Scotland," he said.

A spokesman for the Tesco supermarket group said that if one chain increased its prices, buyers would go elsewhere, and that the law prevented stores working together to increase prices.

Big discount offers make reduction in consumption unlikely

AS THE barbecue season approaches, party packs of lager and cider are piled high in the entrance to almost every Scottish supermarket.

Critics say price-cutting wars between the big supermarkets contribute to teenage drinking by making alcohol available at knock-down prices.

With some own-brands of supermarket lager available for as little as 25p a can, campaigners say it is time for the government to act.

At Asda at the Jewel in Edinburgh there are regular announcements over the supermarket Tannoy to promote cut-price beer and cider.

Towering piles of lager and cider are the first thing customers see when they come through the main entrance of the store.

For £8, shoppers can buy 15 cans of 4 per cent Tennent's lager, eight bottles of 4.5 per cent Strongbow cider or 15 cans of 5.3 per cent Strongbow.

Inside the store customers will also find multipacks of 3 per cent Asda Smart Price lager at 92p for four cans or £2.90 for a dozen – about 25p a can.

Tesco also has the multipacks piled high. For just £10 customers can buy a 20-pack of strong Stella Artois. Buy two and pay only £16 – a price of 40p a bottle.

By contrast a small bottle of Coca-Cola costs 91p.

A £10 note at Tesco will buy 18 cans of Tennent's. Buy 36 cans and the price drops to £16 – that's 44p a can.

A packet of Walkers crisps costs almost as much, at 39p.

Morrisons is encouraging customers to buy two party packs at a time for a discount.

A two for £16 offer includes eight-packs of Magners cider, 12-packs of Guinness, 15-packs of Foster's and Strongbow and 18-packs of Tennent's.

Yesterday, a leading charity warned supermarkets will not see a reduction in under-age drinking until they stop offering discounted alcohol.

Alcohol Concern said a move by Morrisons to increase the age to 25 at which it asks for identification to buy alcohol was "well intentioned" but was unlikely to be effective.

Asda operates a similar scheme.

But Alcohol Concern warned children were increasingly asking friends or strangers to buy drink on their behalf.

A spokesman said: "Morrisons' move might be well intentioned but until we deal with the sheer affordability of alcohol, which is in part driven by widespread supermarket discounts, we're unlikely to see any real reduction in the amount that teenagers drink."