“Our customers used to say they would go back on drugs if the cost of alcohol went up.”
John Brolly has seen the problems alcohol has on the people of Glasgow.
The 48-year-old ran an off-sales for 30 years and got to know a lot of drinkers.
He said: “You get the same crew coming in every day the minute you open up.”
John said people looking to get drunk as cheaply as possible will buy the booze with the cheapest price per unit of alcohol.
He said this often included fortified wine such as Buckfast as well as strong beer like Tennent’s super-strength lager.
However, he’s sceptical whether minimum pricing would change anything.
He said: “Our customers used to say they would go back on drugs if the cost of alcohol went up.”
John said he knew of people who had lost limbs as a result of health complications from sleeping rough.
However, rather than seeing their disability as something bad, they viewed it as a bonus as they could get more money in benefits, allowing them to buy more booze.
The impact alcohol has on the area was clear to see. On the corner of the Gallowgate, we watched as an elderly man, clearly under the influence of drink, struggled to stay on his feet.
He was only wearing one shoe, holding the other in his hand as he stared off into space.
Some pubs had signs stating customers could get bar credit, allowing them to drink even if they were short of money.
Other bars had ads stating they were open as early as 8am.
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