KENNY Macaskill, like so many politicians, does not understand the nature of alcohol and why it is Scotland’s biggest drug problem. Raising the price of alcohol increases the profit of the producers and the retailers, without costing them a penny in production costs ("Alba’s Macaskill calls for alcohol price rise to combat high Scottish deaths", The Herald, August 26). The estimated £120 million added profits does nothing to pay for or address the health damage from excessive drinking. Using some of that added income to address alcohol education and addiction services could well make a big difference.

Latest figures show a 17 per cent rise in alcohol-related deaths to 1,190 in 2020. It was thought that because of the Covid lockdowns, mental health problems would lead to heavier drinking and more suicides, as alcohol is the drug most often associated with suicides. However, alcohol-related deaths only include deaths where specific organs such as the liver and heart show damage from long-term alcohol consumption. This is damage that occurs over a very long time, not in one year, when a problem like Covid is rife. In reality the actual figure for alcohol-related deaths should include suicides, road traffic accidents, house fires, other accidents such as drownings, violent assaults. But that would really blow the minds of the public and our politicians.

To understand the link between suicide and alcohol the Government should look to the nature of the drug alcohol. It disinhibits us. It picks up our moods and personality traits, and multiplies them. Great for the shy person who may get more bold and find it easier to socialise. Bad for the angry, badly-hurt individual, who when disinhibited, lashes out, verbally or physically, leading to relationship breakdowns, assaults, drink driving, and murders. Bad news too for the depressed, lonely individual, who will get more depressed and gain the false courage that alcohol gives to successfully end their lives.

Understanding all of that should lead politicians to understand that tinkering at the edges of our nation’s love of alcohol, with sticking-plaster policies like minimum pricing is never going to curb alcohol misuse. The higher the price of alcohol the less our poorest problems drinkers can afford it, so they turn to other less expensive drugs, to ease their pain and mental health issues.

Alcohol is, and always has been, Scotland’s biggest drug problem. Better alcohol education without fear of backlash from the alcohol industry, and ring-fencing some of the bonus the exchequer gets from minimum pricing to pay for the urgently-needed drug and alcohol addiction and support services is where we should be heading, not increasing unit prices of alcohol to 65p.

Max Cruickshank, retired youth worker and health education worker, Glasgow.

* MY spirits were fairly lifted (in more ways than one) upon reading the letter from Robin Dow (August 27). What a refreshing change from all the doom-mongers and Holy Willies who are constantly preaching about what we can and cannot eat or drink.

So cheers Robin, more power to your elbow.

I will drink a toast to your good health and might even risk a bacon sandwich to accompany it.

David Clark, Tarbolton.

THE MYSTERY OF WTC7 COLLAPSE

INFORMED opinion has it that the invasion of Afghanistan was as a direct result of the 9/11 atrocity. As the 20th anniversary of the attack on New York approaches and the West is now abandoning Afghanistan, maybe enough time has elapsed that the full story of 9/11 can be revealed: perhaps some clarification will occur adventitiously during the civil law suits happening in the US.

I am fascinated to hear the explanation of how the BBC broadcast a live TV feed from New York where the reporter announced the collapse of a third building, WTC7. The report was memorable because WTC7 wasn’t struck by a plane but apparently collapsed as a result of office fires; however during the whole live broadcast WTC7 was still standing resolutely in the background behind the reporter and it did not suddenly and completely collapse in a manner similar to a controlled demolition until 23 minutes later. Another peculiar part of the broadcast was the abrupt curtailment of the live reportage due to a “loss of satellite signal”.

I’m sure it can’t be true and there must be another plausible explanation, but it’s almost as if the BBC had prior knowledge of events and jumped the gun.

David J Crawford, Glasgow.

LET'S MAKE SCHOOL UNIFORMS UNIFORM

ACCORDING to Chambers' Dictionary, uniform means "alike" or "unvarying"; school clothing is anything but ("School uniforms are ugly and a total waste of time so let’s get rid of them", The Herald, August 24). The present system only helps promote a them-and-us mentality, not to mention elitism. Why not pick a colour – any colour – and make every school use that colour, nationwide? You move from Aberdeen to Glasgow? No change, no new clothing to buy.

As regards blazer versus anorak, our climate makes me favour the later.

George Smith, Clydebank.

EYES ON THE TIGER

HURRAH for some common sense from Alan Simpson ("The tiger who did not breed future rapists", The Herald, August 27).

I think my three children grew up enjoying the possibility, however remote, that some exotic creature would pop in to eat all the food in the house, and more impressively, drink all the water in the tap!

Alternatively, maybe we were all hoping that Daddy would come home from work and immediately take us all out for dinner.

What a pity that Judith Kerr is not still with us to discuss this latest take on her work.

Sue Forsyth, Glasgow.