Buckfast tonic wine linked to violent crime in Scotland

The tonic wine Buckfast has been mentioned in 5,000 crime reports by Scotland's biggest police force in the last three years, an investigation revealed today.

Almost one in ten of those crimes in the Strathclyde Police area was violent, according to figures obtained by the BBC under Freedom of Information legislation.

During that period Buckfast bottles were used as a weapon 114 times.

Police said the figures suggested there is an association between Buckfast and violence.

The findings are revealed in the programme BBC Scotland Investigates: The Buckfast Code to be broadcast tonight.

During the programme Superintendent Bob Hamilton of Strathclyde Police was asked whether the figures mean that Buckfast can be said to be associated with violence.

He replied: "I think it's clear from the figures that there is an association there."

Buckfast is produced by monks in a Devon monastery.

The investigation looks at the ingredients of the drink and how they may affect the behaviour of consumers, potentially making them anxious and aggressive if drunk in large quantities.

Neuroscientist Dr Steven Alexander tells the programme there is 281 milligrammes of caffeine in a bottle of Buckfast - as much caffeine as in eight cans of coke.

Asked about the effects of consuming more caffeine than there is in 16 cans of coke, Dr Alexander said: "It's going to have him bouncing around all over the place because the anxiety levels, the adrenalin will be running around.

"He will certainly be feeling very anxious, very aggressive."

The programme reports that around the world there is increasing concern about the effect of caffeine when mixed with alcohol, with the US Food and Drug Administration considering banning pre-mixed caffeinated alcohol drinks altogether.

Labour MSP Richard Baker tells the programme new legislation is needed to reduce access to caffeinated alcohol products.

A request for an interview with the monks of Buckfast Abbey to respond to the issues raised was turned down, the BBC said.

However Jim Wilson, from J.C Chandler, the distributors of the tonic wine in Scotland was interviewed.

When asked what would be the harm in reducing the caffeine level, Mr Wilson said: "Why should we? It's been there for over 80 years. Why should we go about changing the recipe of something just to satisfy somebody's whim?"

Mr Wilson also said the monks were not to blame for the effects of Buckfast in the outside world.

He said: "Why should they accept responsibility? They're not up here pouring any of their Buckfast down somebody's throat. People take it by choice because they like it, because it's a good product."

The Buckfast programme was being broadcast a day after a study suggested Scots are drinking the equivalent of 46 bottles of vodka each in a year.

According to the findings, Scots are downing 25% more alcohol per head of population than the English and the Welsh.

The 50.5 million litres of pure alcohol sold in Scotland last year was enough for every drinker over the age of 18 to exceed the weekly consumption guidelines for men every week of the year, the research found.

The new figures come as the Scottish Government pushes for a minimum price for alcohol to tackle the country's drink-related problems.

The research is based on industry sales data analysed by NHS Health Scotland.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said it was time for critics of minimum pricing to "wake up" to the scale of Scotland's drink problem.

Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said Buckfast was not the only problem affecting the country.

He told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "We're concerned at the effect all drinks are having in Scotland because it's costing us a fortune, it's overburdening our health service and it's undermining our economy and society."

He added: "It's not any one individual drink, it's the way that we've been drinking, the amount we've been drinking and how we've been having drink promoted and priced that's the problem in this country."

Mr MacAskill said there was no scientific evidence that connected caffeine with violence and crime.

He continued: "Clearly Buckfast is drunk usually in the west of Scotland as part of a cocktail.

"But people frequently have an espresso after a good night out, a meal with a lot of wine, then they don't suddenly go berserk."

Energy drink Red Bull and cola are frequently added to alcoholic drinks without raising calls to ban the products, he added.

The SNP Scottish Government wants to introduce minimum pricing for alcohol as part of a wider attempt to tackle drink-related problems.

But with Labour, the Tories and the Liberal Democrats at Holyrood all opposed to the proposal, ministers lack the parliamentary support to get the measure passed.

Mr MacAskill accepted that minimum pricing would not affect Buckfast because the drink is already "quite expensive".