JOHN CARNOCHAN

The potential for irresponsible use of alcohol to impact negatively on individuals, families and communities is obvious to everyone, as is its connection to violence. Anyone with any doubts should visit any accident and emergency department, police station, court or prison: the evidence is lying around every town and city centre in the country every weekend. There has been a multitude of reports and studies defining the statistical, fiscal and social burden alcohol places on Scotland.

This is why we need robust licensing arrangements to govern the sale of alcohol. The terms of the new Licensing Act were decided on having taken account of living experience as well as research. Yet despite this overwhelming weight of evidence, there is a continuing feeling in some quarters that the harmful outcomes are down solely to individuals, that the sellers of alcohol have at best a limited responsibility for any negative impact and therefore we should do nothing except tinker around the edges of legislation - and, of course, put more police on the streets and provide more nurses, doctors and ambulance crews to deal with the effects.

It is true we must all take responsibility for our own actions, including the risks we take and the alcohol we drink, but right now we have a culture that not only accepts excessive drinking as normal behaviour but celebrates it. We seem to accept that being unable to look after ourselves as a result of drinking to excess should be the cause for humour, that it is normal and anyone who thinks otherwise is in some way out of touch with reality. There is also the misguided notion that it is a problem of the young. We are naive beyond belief if we think our problem with alcohol is limited to alcoholics and young people who get drunk at the weekends. Health statistics confirm that the overuse of alcohol by Scottish men and women is widespread among all age groups and backgrounds.

Why are the drinking habits of young people what they are? It is largely to do with the example we are setting for them. What we are doing for them essentially is handing them a concrete lifebelt that will sink their aspirations, their plans and our future.

We must do all we can to limit the harm done on a daily basis, the young men dying before their time, the women suffering abuse at the hands of a drunk partner, the children living with parents who drink too much. We must reduce the cost to Scottish society as a result of alcohol misuse, which in 2002-03 was estimated by the then Scottish Executive to be £1.13bn. The 77 victims of alcohol-fuelled violence who present at A&E every day are 77 too many.

Like many northern European countries, there is a growing "culture of intoxication", and any promotion that encourages or panders to this increases the harm and the concomitant costs to public services, as well as the impact on health. If we want a cafe culture in Scotland let's build more cafes. If we want to carry on the way we are, and see our society suffer even more, let's keep on building bars where loud music inhibits conversation and the design - few seats, plenty of standing room - encourages drinking; let's keep on having loss-leading drinks promotions in off-licences, allowing customers to have a few cheap drinks before they even reach these bars. But for the sake of our society, the commercial imperative cannot justify these irresponsible arrangements.

There has been a lot of debate about pricing and promotions. Trade representatives state that multiple-purchase promotions, such as three for £10, are used to encourage customers to spend more money, not to consume more alcohol - and if they are forced to change then single bottles will become cheaper. The volume we drink is the issue, so any deal that offers more drink cannot be a good idea. As I am not in retail business, I do not understand this logic. I am, however, in the police business and I understand the negative impact alcohol has on young and old, rich and poor, well educated and poorly educated. I am also able to count, and the cost is too high.

The case for action is proved beyond all reasonable doubt and Scotland has had enough. We now require decisive leadership that will start and drive forward the process of change based on the evidence; a leadership that will be brave in the face of commercial arguments. Let's make evidence-based decisions about what is good for Scottish communities. We must all play our part by reducing our tolerance of drunkenness, by ensuring the young are brought up in thriving communities where violence and drunken behaviour are not considered normal and where we have more cafes to enjoy alcohol responsibly with friends.

There will be short-term solutions and long-term solutions; both must address provision, access and availability, and they must involve everyone. The police will continue to enforce and hospitals will continue to treat, but everyone must play their part to prevent.

There is no single policy or action that will deliver immediate change and we certainly must plan for the long-term cultural and societal changes necessary. I am sure it can be done. And maybe, after a successful Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland will be bidding for the 2028 Olympic Games and the main sponsor will not be a drinks company. By then, too, perhaps our football teams will have no need to connect sporting excellence with alcohol through shirt sponsorship.