IT was once counted as a high-end premium drink but supermarkets' own brand and home-produced varieties have meant it is increasingly a cut-price option for drinkers.
With some 70cl bottles selling for less than £10, vodka is now the drink of choice for many as the nation’s drinking culture moves from the pub into the home. More palatable varieties are developed each year, including flavours designed to appeal to people not used to the taste of alcohol.
But experts say a love affair with the Russian spirit is to blame for increasing cases of alcohol-related disease.
Dr Evelyn Gillan, chief executive at Alcohol Focus Scotland, said: “We have been getting more evidence over the years that when we are dealing with people with alcohol problems their main drink has been vodka, especially the cheaper supermarket brands that are out there.
“The thing that this really confirms is the trend towards home drinking. Scotland has always had more of a spirit drinking culture than the rest of the UK, and vodka seems to be the drink of choice.”
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