Drinking alcohol is as much a part of Scottish culture as haggis. After all, we’re the birthplace of whisky. Booze is built into our genes but embracing moderation isn’t.
Our alcohol consumption was, at one point, the highest in the world. Having a bevvy is seen as something to be proud of and has become woven into our national identity.
But health problems aside, much of the crime, particularly of the violent type, we see has its roots in alcohol. Two in five prisoners say they committed offences while drunk and that figure leaps to about 60 per cent for young offenders.
