The days of cut price alcohol deals in the corner shop, convenience store or supermarket are coming to an end with new measures to tackle Scotland's destructive drinking culture, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said today.

He told Alcohol Focus Scotland's annual conference of plans to extend the new Licensing Act to crackdown on irresponsible promotions and pricing in off-sales.

Any promotion that provides alcohol free or at a reduced price on the purchase of one or more of the product or another product will be outlawed.

Mr MacAskill also revealed that mandatory conditions will require shops to have separate alcohol display areas – to help challenge the perception that alcohol is no different to juice or water.

Mr MacAskill said:
"From young people rampaging the streets shouting abuse at passers by to people dying in our hospitals of alcoholic liver disease – alcohol misuse has a lot to answer for. The facts are stark – over 60 per cent of prisoners admit they were drunk when they offended, and six people die every day from alcohol related illness.

"This is immediate action to kick start a long term drive to change Scotland's culture – to help make sure drinking to get drunk is simply no longer seen as acceptable. To end the days of 'buy two get one free' type promotions reducing the cost of beer to as little as 43 pence a pint. These measures will also support long term change in all our drinking habits."

"We will stop shops displaying beer all around the store or cross-merchandising wine in the pizza counter to entice impulse buyers to buy and drink more alcohol. I hope this will help us to remind people that alcohol is not just another commodity and it shouldn't be treated in the same way as buying a tin of beans or loaf of bread.

"As a government we are not prohibitionists or anti-alcohol. But we are taking a stand against excessive drinking and the impact it is having on people's health, wellbeing and safety.

"I won't stand by and do nothing, watching alcohol misuse tighten its grip and continue to wreak havoc on the lives of people up and down Scotland. By taking action today to turn off the tap of cheap drink, to end irresponsible promotions wherever alcohol is sold, and making sure alcohol isn't sold at every turn in the supermarket, I believe we can turn this around."

"Of course there is more to be done. This is the first step in a long term strategy to tackle the health and social harms of alcohol misuse. There is a role for the NHS, for the police, the alcohol industry, and for our schools. We need to communicate with the public about taking responsibility and drinking sensibly. Today's action signals our intent to step up the pace of action."

The regulations to ensure outlets have a specific display area for alcohol will be made shortly and would come into effect along with the key provisions of the new Licensing laws in 2009.

A consultation on draft regulations that would ban irresponsible promotions from off-sales will be issued shortly with regulations being made early in 2008.

The Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 received Royal Assent on December 21st, 2005, and reforms the current legislation which dates back to the 1970s.

The aim of the new legislation is:

• to simplify and modernise the existing legislation (the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976, and the relevant parts of the Law Reform (Misc Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1990
• balance the rights of the majority of people who drink responsibly against the need to protect local communities from nuisance and crime associated with misuse of alcohol
• provide strong monitoring and enforcement powers
• establish a more inclusive system for all those with an interest; Support responsible members of the licensed trade
• allow local flexibility balanced with consistency of decision making

The Scottish Government is also looking at the practices of deep-discounting. The Cabinet Secretary has asked for legal advice on how this practice can be ended as part of our wider alcohol strategy.