Cases of liver disease caused by alcohol have increased almost fourfold in some Scottish areas over the past 10 years, according to new figures.
The statistics comes as a long-awaited Scottish Executive report on the relationship between off-sales and problem drinking in Scotland is released.
The report suggests higher alcohol prices could reduce consumption by young people and claims a proof-of-age scheme should be investigated.
According to the figures, instances of alcohol-related liver disease have shot up in Fife from 61 to 235 last year. Dumfries and Galloway has suffered a tripling in the number of cases over the same time-span, from 22 in 1996 to 66 last year.
Across Scotland as a whole alcohol-related liver disease has more than doubled, rising from 1731 in 1996 to 3541.
In the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area it jumped from 640 to 1201 and in Lothian it went up from 275 to 445. The number went up from 92 to 212 in Tayside, and from 132 to 266 in Grampian. In the Western Isles there was a fourfold increase, from six cases in 1996 to 24 in 2006.
The figures were given by Public Health Minister Shona Robison in response to a written parliamentary question from Tory MSP Mary Scanlon. Ms Scanlon said the figures were "clear evidence the last executive's strategy to tackle alcohol abuse didn't make any impact".
She added: "We clearly require education and we have to take action to curb underage drinking."
Yesterday the executive also released the report commissioned by its predecessor on off-sales and their link with problem drinking. The report, by Human Factors Analysts Ltd, includes a warning local action on the promotion of alcohol is not necessarily worth pursuing unless the issue of the wider price of alcohol is addressed.
It states: "Price promotion and discounting was seen as a fundamental driver by both industry and health and community voices, and this can only be addressed by serious discussion involving market leaders, the alcohol industry and government."
The report also calls for concerted action to change attitudes to drinking, as well as a greater emphasis on tackling the problem of older people buying drink for under-age youngsters.
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