ONE of Scotland’s leading churchmen has demanded a clampdown on drinking shown in television soaps, claiming it encourages alcohol abuse among teenagers.

Canon Kenyon Wright, an architect of devolution and the chair of Alcohol Focus Scotland (AFS), has condemned programmes such as Casualty, EastEnders, Holby City and Coronation Street for glamorising “irresponsible” drinking.

Wright, who was awarded a CBE for chairing the Scottish Constitutional Convention which drew up the blueprint for devolution, said that too often characters were portrayed as only having a good time when they were “hammered”.

He has demanded a meeting with senior BBC executives who he accuses of acting irresponsibly by not showing the social cost of alcohol abuse.

Wright highlighted a recent episode of Holby City in which doctors were seen downing tequila slammers in a drinking competition after a hard day’s work. The local pub is also the heart of the fictional communities in EastEnders and Coronation Street.

“I’ve no objection to soaps being based in a pub as at least two are,” he said. “My gripe with soaps, and indeed some other programmes, is that they present an irresponsible drinking culture.

“The norm now for a good night is to get drunk, to get sozzled, to get hammered. That, I think, is the problem rather than the responsible use of drinking which they have a real opportunity to show if they wish to.

“These programmes are setting the tone and we will be in talks with the BBC and STV. They will say that they are reflecting society but that’s an unacceptable argument. I would expect them to show there’s a way of life that’s more fulfilling.”

Wright also wants stiffer sentences to be introduced for crimes committed under the influence. At present, he claims, being drunk is too often used as an excuse.

“People who commit crimes while drunk, far from being a mitigating factor, should receive a longer sentence,” he said. “We want to see the executive sending out a clear message that alcohol abuse is not acceptable.”

Wright’s concerns are backed by recent research that shows drinking is becoming an ever more common feature of soap storylines.

The study, carried out by Leicester University, found that alcohol appears every eight minutes in prime-time television soaps. The average frequency has almost doubled over the past 20 years from around four scenes per hour to seven.

While campaign groups such as AFS do not object to drinking scenes, they believe they too often portray the regular consumption of alcohol as “normal and unproblematic”.

They claim that the sanitised portrayal might explain the alarming rise in binge-drinking among young men and women.

Over the past 15 years, alcohol-related deaths in Scotland have more than doubled. A third of men and 13% of women are exceeding safe drinking limits.

Senior police officers also believe binge-drinking is fuelling a crime wave by young women. The number of female convictions rose 12% from 16,000 to 18,000 between 2000 and 2002.

Last week, Wright’s comments were welcomed by experts who share his concerns.

“Research has shown there is far more drinking in soaps than reported in real life,” said Bruce Ritson, former chairman of the Medical Council on Alcohol. “It’s seen as a tremendously natural thing to do in soaps. Many producers will say they simply reflect life as it is but I think they exaggerate the importance of alcohol.”

Peter Kearney, spokesman for the Scottish Catholic church, said: “Our broadcasters need to look at society and ask whether these dramas are an accurate reflection. The way a subject like drug use or alcohol use is approached can have an influence on viewers so broadcasters have a responsibility to be cautious and careful.”

A BBC spokesperson said: “We try to reflect society as it is, although some of it is done for dramatic effect and entertainment. We only include alcohol in scenes where it’s appropriate to the programme.”

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