First Minister John Swinney has pledged his support for a joint campaign aimed at ensuring children and young people in Scotland grow up free from the harmful effects of alcohol marketing.
Launched in collaboration between Alcohol Focus Scotland, BMA Scotland, Children in Scotland, Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs, and Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP), the Alcohol-Free Childhood campaign is backed by around 50 organisations and 80 MSPs across all parties.
In a new video released in support of the campaign, the First Minister acknowledged that children in Scotland are exposed to alcohol so often that they have high levels of alcohol brand awareness, while international evidence has shown that alcohol marketing increases the likelihood that children and young people will start to drink alcohol or, if they already drink alcohol, drink more and at problematic levels.