Just the tonic
BUCKFAST tonic wine has been mentioned in 5,000 crime reports by Strathclyde police force in the last three years.
The figures, obtained by the BBC
under the Freedom of Information
legislation, show almost one in ten of
those crimes in the area was violent.
And the glass bottle containing the
wine was used as a weapon 114 times
in the same period.
While police say the figures suggest
an association between Buckfast and
violence, what do southsiders think?
Shawlands resident Maria Macphee
agrees with the police.
The 21-year-old told The Extra: "I
think it is to blame. It is associated
with neds and violence.
"I'm not sure how they could solve
the problem, but they could change the recipe and reduce the
amount of caffeine in the
drink".
There is 281 milligrammes
of caffeine in a bottle of
Buckfast – as much caffeine
as in eight cans of coke.
This is causing increasing
concern about the effect of
caffeine when mixed with
alcohol.
Claire Doherty from
Darnley has seen the effects of
mixing the two herself.
The 42-year-old said: "My
ex used to drink red bull with
alcohol and his behaviour
would completely change.
"Mixing alcohol and caffeine is a
bad idea. There is a bad drinking
problem with youths in Darnley.
"But if people are wanting to drink
they are going to drink.
"Although, the makers could
change the bottles from glass to
plastic so it is less harmful".
But 85-year-old Eddie Callan says
people are blaming Buckfast to try
and "pass the buck".
The Shawlands resident said: "They
want to pass the blame but there is a
deeper problem there than just
Buckfast.
"The government needs to do
something about attitudes to alcohol
rather than changing pricing".
Superintendent Bob Hamilton of
Strathclyde Police, said: "The figures
are fairly clear Buckfast is mentioned
in a number of crime reports and over
the period requested, its bottle was
used 114 times as a weapon.
"I think it's clear from the figures
there is an association there".
A spokesman for Buckfast said:
"The people who commit crimes are
the ones who have to take
responsibility.
"It is completely wrong to blame
the knife manufacturer if someone
stabs someone. Why just attack
Buckfast"?
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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