Hansard

In August 1994, while I was on holiday in Austria, I got the phone call that no one wants to receive. My mother called me to tell me that my father had died. Although she told me that I did not have to return home to Scotland to attend his funeral, I felt that it was my duty to do so.

My father was a chronic alcoholic, and it killed him at the age of only 57. By then, he was a wreck of a man—the pregnant skeleton that Dr McKee and Dr Simpson would recognise as being the end stage in the life of an alcoholic. In the last 25 years of his life, I do not think that I saw my father sober more than half a dozen times. Over those years, I doubt that anyone in our home had a decent, uninterrupted night's sleep. We had a terror of the clock striking 10, because that was when the pubs closed and my father was due home. As a result of that, my sister left home at 15, and I soon after, at 17. My mother felt that it was her duty to stay, and to stand by my father to ensure that he had a bed at night, and a meal, on the rare occasion on which he was capable of consuming one. Such years of love and devotion demonstrate loyalty that is often unrequited.

Of course, my father did not recognise that he had a problem until he was unable to deal with it. In his view, the fact that he was able to get up for work in the morning meant that there was not really an issue. I have no doubt that my upbringing was not so different from that of many, many thousands of Scots who have had their lives blighted by the problems of alcohol. It is extremely important that the Parliament does whatever it can to change attitudes and behaviours in that important area.

The protection of children from the adverse impact of alcohol is fundamental. At the very least, society must do its utmost to protect those who are the most vulnerable: our unborn children. As members will be aware, on 27 September I submitted motion S3M-561, headed "Alcohol and Pregnancy: A Dangerous Cocktail", to highlight the impact of alcohol on unborn children. I am indebted to Gail Grant of the British Medical Association for providing me with a copy of "Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders—a guide for healthcare professionals". Subsequently, I have received welcome assistance from Paula Evans of Children in Scotland.

Foetal alcohol spectrum disorder covers a wide range of disorders, encompassing everything from behavioural problems to extreme physical and neurodevelopmental disabilities. There is no cure. FASD is a lifelong medical condition that can prevent children from succeeding in school, leading healthy lives and becoming productive adults. It is, by its nature, extremely difficult to diagnose. Indeed, if we compare figures from other developed countries, not least the United States of America, we can see that it is likely that the condition is seriously underdiagnosed. As a result, it is difficult to ensure that the needs of a child with FASD, and its most severe manifestation, foetal alcohol syndrome, are met. Prevention is the key, which is why it is of some concern that six out of 10 women in Scotland drink during pregnancy.

How much is safe for a pregnant woman to drink? The chief medical officer sensibly suggests nothing at all. The BMA, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of Midwives support that view. It is vital that that position is promoted by the Scottish Government. No one really knows how much alcohol, if any, it is safe to imbibe in the womb. Each foetus develops neurologically at slightly different rates, and although the pathways are the same, it is not known when a specific development may occur and when a child may therefore be vulnerable to alcohol in the womb. So why take risks?

Down south, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence suggests a maximum of no more than 1 to 2.5 units a day, which is not far short of what is suggested for an adult woman who is not pregnant. What does that mean, though? A card that I picked up in the Parliament at lunch time tells us that 25ml of gin, rum or vodka represents 0.9 units, with an alcohol level of 37.5 per cent by volume, while 175ml of wine, at 12 per cent volume, is 2.1 units. It is extremely difficult for people to get their head around that, which is why I suggest that the Parliament should promote the view that no alcohol should be drunk during pregnancy. In the USA, all bottles containing alcohol display a warning that simply states:

"According to the Surgeon General, women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy".

I support the BMA's recommendation that further research into FASD be conducted. Guidance and training for health care professionals on the prevention, diagnosis and management of FASD should be implemented at the earliest possible opportunity. Public awareness of FASD and the adverse effects of alcohol in general should be raised.

We need to place a higher priority on dealing with addiction and must increase funding to tackle it. In schools, a comprehensive education programme needs to be introduced, starting at primary school. It is my understanding that education on alcohol misuse is patchy. We need intense public information campaigns to bring home the health and social impacts of misuse. Those must be helped by responsible promotion by the industry, which must include clear labelling—I have touched on that—and sensible drinking messages.

As the cabinet secretary indicated, we need a crackdown on underage drinking, including action to stop the deep discounting of alcohol—especially alcohol bought in bulk—which is one of the reasons that I welcome the motion. A zero-tolerance approach by law enforcement agencies towards alcohol misuse on our streets is essential.

With a comprehensive, co-ordinated national strategy for the treatment of alcohol addicts and alcohol misuse, we can take a major step towards reducing some of the severe problems that we encounter in the streets and homes of Scotland due to alcohol misuse.