Any excuse to tax us.
There are more than a few problems with this utter nonsense.
If Scotland is going to be more expensive for alcohol, as a matter of principle, I will stock up in Carlisle every time I'm passing on my way home. Pity Scotland AFAIK does not produce its own inflation figures as this would cause a jump.
Secondly, the people this is aimed at, will be unlikely to cut back on booze, more likely to cut back elsewhere, such as food/rent/rates/tv license etc.
May well increase petty crime such as muggings.
Will definitely impact of pub takings. See the effect of ill conceived anti smoking legislation has had on that trade. If the cost to the NHS is the issue, apply exactly what already exists for car accidents where an ambulance is called. As I understand it, your insurance company is billed for the ambulance. Do likewise with self inflicted alcohol abuse. If the patient cannot pay at the point of discharge, apply an automatic arrestment of wages or social security. That will bring an element of social shame and alert employers.
Sweden has the most expensive drink with state controlled off sales designed to make you feel most uncomfortable with everything, including staff behind locked cages. Yet their alcohol problems are worse than ours. I speak from having been there!
This stupid ill conceived tax theft on responsible citizens, I guess is close to a 45% cost hike compared to prices 18 months ago. That is going to impact adversely on jobs in the brewing, distribution and pub trades.
If you drive drinking out of sight will people not drink home brewed concoctions in their homes where nobody can see them if they take ill? Potentially more deaths Nicola.
Time for politicians to learn that swingeing tax increases rarely solve much other than a huge boost to the theft industry and black markets. In fact rarely does it increase the amount of tax collected as it simply creates the necessary incentive to find a way around it.
Stupid decision that will, as usual, create more problems that it will solve.

Yet another ill thought out strategy that will affect us decent members of society and not the Buckfast Neds.

Sorry Gloria, the indications I have from an SNP election agent is that 'neds' is not a permissible word. Unfortunately he wont tell me if the SNP have a 'ned' policy or even if they recognise the existence of same.

Sounds very familiar, Jim Sneddon Head of something at ERC told me exactly the same thing around five years ago. There are no Neds in East Renfrewshire.

Takes one to know one perhaps?