MSP's have too much free time on thier hands
if they can come up with this rubbish.

Do we realy need this bunch of muppets in edinburgh

knight, aberdeen,

Whats the SHAME in buying alchohol.......I have no shame in buying anything as long as its not illegal...Wake up guys this is a sick joke.....INFACT I NEED TO STOCK UP MY CUPBOARDS WITH BOOZE............

Samuel, London, UK

Any chance of implementing this before the weekend, as I need to get some beer for a bar-b-que Party.

I would like more time to sort the preperations, and this would speed up things

Cheers

Paul, Farnborough, UK

What will the next "Nanny State" suggestion be once alcohol has been siloed into the shame bin? Perhaps a target on sweets and high sugar & fat foods/drinks that can only be bought using another till?
Saying that I've given up alcohol in the last 2 weeks to aid weight loss and I feel much better!

Neil, Gloucestershire, UK

YES! Less time to queue for booze, more time to party party! WOO! Finally the Government are doing some good with their lives. I'm pretty sure no one is going to feel ashamed of drinking, sometimes it's nice to get home and relax with a glass of wine/Baileys/Vodka/whatever you drink.

Seetal Udeshi, London, UK, UK

Why queue up twice at the supermarket? If they are going to play these silly games, I will purchase my weekly shopping as normal and go and buy my bottle of wine at the off licence without "shame"!

Catrina, Essex,

Here in Australia we have alcohol in supermarkets & they do it in two ways, You can either buy it from an alcohol shop owned by chain & separate from the food area or within two aisles which can be locked off on occasion. Checkouts are restricted to alcohol & groceries or groceries only.

Judith, Canberra, Australia

Does no one see the pattern here? This is exactly the same template used against smokers. First we were "educated," then restricted and heavily taxed, then "denormalized," and finally, thrown out of the public square altogether. Drinkers and eaters have always been next in line for this treatment

Judy, Maryland, USA

Reading this makes me want a beer.

Mikey Finn, London, UK

Why not go the whole hog and bring back the stocks outside supermarkets as well?

Education is the only answer to drinking problems.

Sue Meredith, La Vinuela, Spain

I'm all for this - will be much quicker to nip in and out for a 12 cans of Super. Good work by the Executive.

Utter idiocy. Is this not what an off license is?

Hamish, Glasgae,

Astonished about the fuss - in Oz the liquor part of the supermarket is effectively a separate shop, but usually with a connecting door. You have to pay for groceries and alcohol separately, buit its fairly straightforward - and if you are buying alcohol only the queue is much much shorter.

Chris MacDonald, Sydney, Australa

All the more reason to buy more alchohol then. I can't wait for this to be introduced in England as well.

Chris, Derby,

We should withdraw all funding from Westminster for this crack-pot Assembly. Free health care has it`s price, they`re learning.

Methinks an off licence just south of Hadrian`s Wall would be a moneyspinner.

And expect Gordon Brown to seek votes by excluding whisky from this nonsense

Brian Thompson, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands

I've been told that MP's in Westminster can buy unlimited amounts of alcohol, DUTY FREE, from the various bars in the palace. Can anyone confirm whether or not their counterparts in Cardif, Belfast and Edinburgh have the same benefit? and do they plan to establish a walk of shame for themselves?

david whittle, shrewsbury, shropshire

I buy my cigars at the tobacco counter. Why would an alcohol counter be any differant?

Mike, Gravesend, England

As someone who is teetotal - I am bermused by the increase in alcohol strengths of drinks - does the level of alcohol link to how the beverage tastes? I can only assume this is the case as the alternatives seem to support the idea of drinking to get drunk.

Martin Yale, Bracknell,

Whoever thought up the idea that a separate supermarket queue would shame buyers of booze is obviously living on a different planet to the rest of us. We regularly see shoppers with trolleys piled high with booze, from beer to hard spirits. Never any sign of them being ashamed of their purchases.

Neil, Gloucestershire, England

Your home is re-posessed, your wage (if you have one) doesn´t allow for ends to meet. Your kids are taught shoddily, everybody has "rights" except for you! Then you go to buy Victory Gin at the local supermarket, only to be shamed for buying the only solace that UK society will give you. God Bless!

Winston Smith, Hamburg, Germany

I advocate a separate check-out for kids under 14 buying bags of crisps and fizzy drinks. Kids are too fat! Come on, let´s shame everybody. Dictatorship-here we come! Where I live, people have had 2 dictatorships one after the other- Hitler/Honecker. They won´t stand for it. Why do you? Leave the UK

Winston Smith, Hamburg, Germany

Why doesn't the government ban everything then we will all know where we are. I haven't heard so much utter tripe, "Joe citizen" can buy home brew kits if he so wishes and get plastered at home then go out for the extra in a pub etc, is Brown and his cronies going to monitor our way of life?

Mugsy, Burley-in-Wharfedale, England

Alcohol Kills., causes cancer and rots your brain

Peter O'Loughlin, Beckenham , England

So does Voting!

Rob Bain, Derby,

Annie, you say that buying booze at grocery shops "isn't the case in Canada." Not necessarily. It's true there, but Toronto isn't the centre of the universe. Sure, you're familiar with the LCBO, and the near-monopoly Labatt and Molson have with the Beer Store in Ontario, but in Quebec it's possible.

Eric, Watertown, MA, USA

Granted, Annie, hard booze has to be in separate, mostly provincially-owned (but not in Alberta) shops, even in Quebec (SAQ), but in Quebec, you can get beer and wine at grocery shops and corner markets. Although you have to go through the big brewers and the LCBO in Ontario, it's not everywhere.

Eric, Watertown, MA, USA

Alcohol queue??? What s Scotland becoming, under the present government a kindergarten Democracy? RUN by humiliating its citizens with childish lows? This type of measures are stretched over the limit of any acceptance. i wonder what they will come up next time. Dictatorship?

Daniel Salaman, NICOSIA, CYPRUS

why does this not surprise me? But i do think Kevin Straw, Leicester, is on to a winner with his idea. We could build a database to download the results and track consumption over time. Think of the reports that could be generated with this data. I'm off to start the design.....

John, Reading, uk

I hope these plans all go through. I will then open several off licences just south of the border and sell booze by the bucket load. What a business opportunity!

Danny, Wakefield,

I was hoping that the SNP would help the UK by getting rid of Brown but this idea is far more likely to irritate the Scottish voters. I suggest that most people buy alcohol in the stores in small quantities with their daily/weekly shopping. To have to queue twice will not amuse. Nanny state again

M. Cawdery, Portadown, Co. UK, EU.

Why not give out a SCARLET LETTER 'A'' for customers to wear who buy alcohol ?

Michael John Kirk, LURAY, Virginia

Apart from an invasion of privacy, it is unlikely to influence hardened drinkers for the simple reason that with so many outlets selling the stuff, they have plenty of options.

How about displaying some prominent notices in the 'booze section.

Alcohol Kills., causes cancer and rots your brain

Peter O'Loughlin, Beckenham , England

What a waste of time. It won't deter people from drinking, especially when there are so many off licences and on-line deals to be had. However, it will help us with reduced queues when purchasing our alcohol. thanks.

Paul, Dingwall, Scotland

I propose a breathalyser in every house to be blown into every hour on the hour 24/7 and the results to be relayed to the policeman standing outside each house just in case.

Kevin Straw, Leicester,

Just order it on-line and have Tesco deliver it to your house.
Come into the 21st century

John, London,

Thanks god for that, an express lane for when I buy my booze.

Pat Bateman, London,

A completely daft idea dreamed up by politicians who must be from another planet. Pefectly normal people purchase bottles of wine with their groceries.

John Howard Norfolk, Tiverton, Devon, UK

Some people abuse alcohol, some abuse junk food. What next - a limit to how many potrions of fish and chips or chicken tikka masala one person can buy/ Just leave people alone to go to hell their own way and enforce existing laws to ensure they don't inconvenience others on their way

c chapman, corridonia, italia

Great idea! Won't have to wait in line behind people with trollies growning under the weight of the weekly shop!

Brendan, London

Brendan, London,

The timing of these proposals are either the most idiotic or most irresponsible that I can imagine. Why does the SNP want to add to ppls financial strains?
This is either indirect taxation of those who are worst hit or an early Christmas present to retailers who can now enjoy guilt free price hike

Dave, Edinburgh,

An alcohol only queue would be great, how much time would it save when you dont have to wait for regular shoppers with their 50 bags of shopping. Less time queuing = more time drinking.

wonder if you would have to use the same queue for buying wine gums or rum chocolates though?

James, Dunstable, England

This sort of thing is far more an erosion of civil liberties than Id Cards, 42 days and suchlike.

Roger Tilbury, Worthing,

Lets demonise alcohol,after all it worked so well with heroin didnt it?

Mike, Salford,

its hardly going to be a walk of shame with 90% of the shoppers having to queue, so they can enjoy a glass of wine or a beer after work, it will just be a normal queue with normal people only a lot longer.

keith, chester,

Angus Macleod says: Scotland has a binge-drinking culture, with a near-epidemic of alcohol abuse.
Scottish Retail Consortium says: “...only a small minority of Scots have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol."
I shouldn't have to ask, but what is the truth - with evidence and references?

Graham Rounce, London, England

Having neither seen nor heard of Billy Connelly for some time I was beginning to fear that Scotland's comedic talent had diminished. Happy to know that the members in the Scottish Parliement have stepped in to keep the smiles on our faces.

HarrY Greenwood, West Vancouver BC, Canada

Absolutely pathetic. How come the politicians can buy unlimited alcohol DUTY FREE in the houses of parliament? They want to penalise us tax payers, we the people that pay their wages, we the people that have not voted them in! What has this country come to? If I could, I would emigrate.

Chris, Birmingham,

This sounds very much like the set up in Western Australia. Currently in WA alcohol cannot be bought with groceries. I find it extremely irritating, draconian and felt liberated when I returned to Britain for a visit earlier this year and purchased wine and beer with my groceries!

Alex, Perth, Australia

@ annie, Toronto

Its sold in shops becuse that is where we want to buy it, well are foreced too as in this day and age your only aloowed to go to one shop its has to be supper market, as all other shops have shut.

This is not th england of my childhood local shops are dead, I am only 28!

MR W Jones, Liverpool, England

Sounds to me as though I should buy shares in one of our more famous off licences!
After the debacle of Tescos and selling alcohol (or not) to parents with children why am I not surprised by this turn of events?
Oh well, its the supermarket profits that will take the hit!
MA

Mike Asacret, Cambridge, England

I have never heard such a stupid idea !!

Jack, London,

waste. of. time.

Nick_MX, Brighton,

once again another idea that has not been thought out at all. all this will do is inconvenience shoppers. do you think an alcohol only que will 'shame' an alcoholic from buying a drink? if anything it gives him more focus to specifically go to the shop to buy booze instead of booze and food. stupid

Deno, Preston,

So if I, as a civilised individual, wish to buy a small bottle of cider with my weekly shopping to add to a pork dish or a bottle of wine to add to a stew I will have to go through the "walk of shame". Once again reasonable individuals are punished for the few degenerates out there. Cheers.

Kris, Edinburgh,

This is surely a violation of human rights?

What next?

A separate queue for people with ASBO'S?

A separate queue for rapists, and murderers?

Alcoholism is an illness.

It may even be hereditary.

We need to embrace alcoholics and help them.

Alienation will not help alcoholics.

sisan leigh, salford, england

Some people must be easily embarrasssed. Are they going to ban sugar and yeast ? I suggest our youngsters take up wine and beer making. When I was 17 I got huge satisfaction from my first batch of elderberry wine. Learn some physics and chemistry on the way.

Jon, manchester,

So someone in authority thinks that this will discourage drinkers from buying alcohol?
Have they not seen drunks openly consuming their booze in the streets, completely unconcerned who sees them?

GJB, Slough, Berkshire

There is a problem with alcohol. It needs some thought applied. Not just a stealth tax hyke. The Scottish Government won't be getting any new tax as a result. Maybe for a change its health they are putting before cash. If it works expect to see this in England. But we do have a problem with alcohol.

David B, LARKHALL, UK

This system will not act as a deterrent to purchasing alcohol.

Stephen Holmes, Withington, UK

Oh the humiliation! How mortifying to be seen buying booze in public.

I will just have to build a still and make my own.

Rose, Stirling, UK

Doesn't take a genius to see the hole in the minimum price proposal. If a trader sets up an on-line off-sales based in England they can sell without price restriction to the Scots. Or do the Nats want excisemen to investigate all packages crossing the border?

steve woods, wooler,

Why not arrest those who sell alcohol to minors, provide alcohol to minors, sell alcohol to people who are drunk?

Charge individuals who are drunk and incapable, drunk and disorderly or consume alcohol in a public place..

These criminal laws all exist, so why are they being ignored?

neil wilson, manchester,

Presumably one buys large quantities of alcohol for the purpose of hosting a BBQ party. Is the to suggest the buyer should be shamed for (a) hosting a party; or (b) hosting a party that involves alcohol?

d, london,

This just means when I pop in to buy a bottle of wine I won't have to queue with other people buying cart-loads of junk food. The supermarkets might not like it of course. Instead of only have one or two checkouts open in the evening, they'll have to add in an extra one just for alcohol sales.

Donna Walker, Effingham, England

Why can't they reduce the alcohol content? A 50% reduction would make such a difference.

Evan Owen, Harlech, Wales

Maybe people should question why alcohol is sold in a grocery store/supermarket. This isn't the case in Canada.

annie, Toronto, canada

Hey, great, an alcohol only aisle. That means when I get my cart-loads of booze, I'll get served quicker. Cool.

Paul Downes, Milton Keynes, UK

So, the SNP want to tell 20 year olds that they can vote, join the army, go off and die for their country, buy a house, pay taxes, work and, of course, buy a pint in the pub, but they can't buy a bottle of wine in a supermarket?

I think the SNP cabinet have been having a few too many themselves!

Thomas, Glasgow, UK

Sturgeon repeats the alcohol cheaper than water cliche- I can get water free out of the tap or buy a litre of Sainsbury's bottled water for 17p. Alcohol 'health advocates' are funded by the Nordic state alcohol monopolies - evidence-based? - they didn't even know the price of Buckie.

peem birrell, glasgow,

Why on earth would anybody be embarrassed to be seen at a seperate counter reserved for alcohal purchases?

What planet do these politicians live on?

Emily, Galway, Ireland

That'll help to keep inflation down.

Secondly, why would queuing with my fellow dipsomaniacs embarrass me?

What it would do, is ensure that I would never vote for this government again

Steve, Argyll,