Recent research suggests that men and women in Scotland are twice as likely to suffer an alcohol-related death than their UK counterparts. Between 2002 and 2004, nearly 4 out of every 10,000 Scots died of alcohol-related causes, compared with only 1.7 Brits.

But that's not to say the UK is a pillar of moderate consumption. In 2004, the country saw 8,221 alcohol-related deaths, which is nearly double the 1991 figure.

In response, Scotland is implementing a new action plan to tackle the problem of alcohol abuse, which includes substance-abuse programming in schools, and an extension of a pilot initiative in which teenagers try and purchase alcohol to "string" shopkeepers that sell to minors.