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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 2 May 2018

Scotland bans bargain-basement

booze in public health move

By JILL LAWLESS reduce hospital admissions a fifth more alcohol is sold
Associated Press and generally reduce the per adult in Scotland than
LONDON (AP) — Bargain damage that alcohol mis- in other parts of Britain, and
booze has become a little use does to our society," Scottish authorities say al-
more expensive in Scot- she said. cohol misuse causes about
land, which says it is the first The measure, which pub- 697 hospital admissions and
country in the world to in- lic health advocates call 22 deaths a week.
troduce minimum unit pric- a watershed moment, has Scotland sets its own health
ing for alcohol. been a long time coming. policies, and campaign-
From Tuesday, retailers must Scottish lawmakers ap- ers are pressing for similar
charge at least 50 pence proved minimum pricing action in other parts of the
(68 cents) per unit, amount- in 2012, but it was delayed U.K. The Alcohol Health Alli-
ing to about 70 pence for a for six years by legal chal- ance, a coalition of medi- Shelves of alcoholic drinks are displayed for sale in an Edin-
burgh off-licence as Scotland has become the first country in
bottle of beer or 5 pounds lenges from the Scotch cal groups, says there are the world to introduce minimum unit pricing for alcoholic drinks,
for a bottle of wine. Whisky Association, which almost 23,000 alcohol-re- in Edinburgh, Scotland, Tuesday May 1, 2018.
First Minister Nicola Stur- argued the move unfairly lated deaths a year in Eng- Associated Press
geon praised Scotland for hit responsible drinkers on land, which has roughly 10
being "bold enough and low incomes times Scotland's population is available." is difficult," she said. "But I
brave enough" to take the Britain's Supreme Court fi- of 5 million. Norine Aslam, who runs the think it's a positive change
step. nally rejected the distillers' Britain's Home Office said Top Cellar liquor store in the so it's just a hurdle that ev-
"All of the evidence says challenge last year. minimum pricing was "un- Edinburgh suburb of Leith, eryone needs to get over.
that minimum unit pricing Health campaigners say der review and the govern- said she was "all for" the "I think it's more positive
will reduce deaths from minimum pricing will save ment will consider the evi- move. than negative, so I think it
alcohol-related illnesses, lives and money. Almost dence of its impact once it "It's like everything, change will be good."q

Bakery appeals to UK Supreme Court in gay-rights cake case

LONDON (AP) — A bakery lawsuit that received back- was not a simple case of
owned by a Christian fam- ing from Northern Ireland's discrimination. The ruling
ily asked Britain's Supreme Equalities Commission, low- against the bakery implied
Court on Tuesday to over- er courts ruled that the bak- that "gay bakers could be
turn a ruling that it discrimi- ery's refusal was discrimina- forced by law to decorate
nated against a gay cus- tory. cakes with homophobic
tomer for refusing to make Judges from the London- slogans," he said. "Although
a cake supporting same- based Supreme Court I strongly disagree with
sex marriage. heard the bakery's appeal Ashers stance against gay
Ashers Baking Co. in North- at a special sitting in Bel- marriage, that is their right
ern Ireland refused in 2014 fast that is due to continue in a free and democratic
to make a cake iced with Wednesday. society," Tatchell said. Simi-
the "Sesame Street" char- David Scoffield, lawyer lar cases involving bakeries
acters Bert and Ernie and for the bakery's owners, have come up in the Unit-
the slogan "Support Gay argued Tuesday that the ed States. The U.S. Supreme
Marriage." family should not be com- This Thursday March 26, 2015 file photo shows Ashers Baking Court heard arguments in
The owners argued they pelled to create a prod- Company in Belfast, Northern Ireland. December on an appeal
were happy to bake goods uct "to which they have a Associated Press from a Colorado baker
for anyone, but could not genuine objection in con- who also cited religious be-
put messages on their science." it when they step into work Scoffield told the court. liefs for refusing to make a
products at odds with their "The notion that Christians on Monday is not real free- In a statement, British gay- wedding cake for a same-
Christian beliefs. may exercise their faith on dom of religion and is not rights activist Peter Tatchell sex couple. The court's
After the customer filed a Sundays but forget about freedom of conscience," agreed the cake dispute opinion is pending.q