Showing posts with label BMA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BMA. Show all posts

Monday, 15 February 2010

Plaid : isafswm pris ar alcohol i achub y dafarn draddodiadol

Mae tafarndai’n wynebu argyfwng ac mae ymgeisydd Plaid Cymru dros Orllewin Clwyd Llyr Huws Gruffydd ac Aelod Cynulliad gogledd Cymru Janet Ryder am weld gweithredu i’w cefnogi. Mae’nt yn galw am gyflwyno isafswm pris ar alcohol er mwyn achub y dafarn draddodiadol ac mae nhw am glywed barn tafarnwyr lleol.

Mae’r ddau wleidydd am weld cyflwyno’r isafswm pris ar alcohol er mwyn cynorthwyo tafarndai yn eu brwydr yn erbyn prisiau rhad yr archfarchnadoedd. Yn ogystal â chynorthwyo’r diwydiant tafarnau, teimlant y byddai codi pris yr alcohol rhad yn cynorthwyo i atal pobl ifanc rhag yfed yn afresymol gan gynorthwyo i leihau lefelau tor-cyfraith.

Dywedodd Llyr, a fydd yn ymgeisydd dros Blaid Cymru yn yr etholiad cyffredinol:

“Mae nifer o dafarnwyr lleol wedi lleisio’u gofidiau ynglyn â’r trafferthion mae nhw’n eu hwynebu wrth geisio cystadlu efo prisiau isel alcohol yn yr archfarchnadoedd.

“Dros yr wythnosau nesaf mi fyddwn ni’n cysylltu â thafarnwyr lleol i holi eu barn ynglyn â chyflwyno isafswm pris am alcohol.”


Mae Plaid Cymru wedi croesawu’r argymhellion a wnaed mewn adroddiad diweddar gan Bwyllgor Iechyd Ty’r Cyffredin i gyflwyno isafswm pris ar alcohol. Mae argymhellion eraill yn cynnwys cyfyngu ar hysbysebion a allai gael eu gweld gan blant ynghyd â gwahardd hysbysebu alcohol ar wefannau rhwydweithio cymdeithasol.

Ychwanegodd Llyr:

"Mae tystiolaeth gref gan Gymdeithas Meddygol Prydain – y BMA, ymhlith eraill, yn dangos y byddai cyflwyno isafswm pris ar alcohol yn medru gwneud gwahaniaeth gwirioneddol i daclo’r diwylliant o yfed yn anghyfrifol”.

“Mae’r diwylliant presenol o brisiau isel mewn archfarchnadoedd yn gwneud drwg i nifer o dafarndai yn ein cymunedau, sy’n methu cystadlu o ran prisiau, ac sydd weithiau’n ffeindio bod cwsmeriaid wedi gor-yfed cyn cyrraedd y dafarn. Mae rhai landlordiaid cyfrifol hyd yn oed yn teimlo na ddylent werthu rhagor o ddiod iddynt.

“Rwy’n awyddus i glywed barn pobl sydd yn y diwydiant tafarndai er mwyn gwybod eu safbwynt am isafswm pris ar alcohol, ynghyd ag unrhyw gamau eraill yr hoffent weld y llywodraeth yng Nghaerdydd ac yn Llundain yn eu cymryd i gefnogi eu busnesau.

“Mae’r dafarn leol yn rhan anatod o’n cymunedau ac rydym wedi colli gormod ohonynt yn y blynyddoedd diwethaf. Rwyf am weld beth allwn ni ei wneud i gefnogi’r tafarndai sydd gennym yma, ac i’w cynorthwyo i sicrhau bod ganddynt ddyfodol llewyrchus.”


Mae cryn ofid wedi bod am lefelau uchel alcoholiaeth ar draws Cymru wrth i bobl dueddu i yfed mwy adref ynghyd â phrynu diodydd llawer cryfach nag y byddent yn y gorffennol. Mae fodca rhad yn hawdd i’w gael yn yr archfarchnadoedd ac mae’r pris isel yn annog pobl i yfed llawer mwy wrth iddynt yfed cyn mynd allan am y noson.

Dywedodd Janet Ryder AC:

“Mae tafarndai cymunedol yn medru chwarae rôl pwysig wrth helpu pobl i yfed yn gyfrifol am eu bod yn lefydd i fwy na dim ond yfed. Mae nhw’n lefydd i bobl o bob oed gyfarfod, gan gynnig cwmniaeth – yn enwedig i bobl hŷn.

“Gyda chymaint o dafarndai ar draws Cymru’n wynebu amser anodd, rydym ni eisiau cynnig cymorth ymarferol iddynt.”

Sunday, 14 February 2010

Plaid : minimum alcohol price to save the traditional pub

Pubs in the area are facing a crisis, and Plaid Cymru’s Clwyd West candidate Llyr Huws Gruffydd and North Wales AM Janet Ryder believe that strong action is needed. They say that minimum pricing on alcohol should be introduced to save traditional local pubs, and are seeking the views of local publicans.

The politicians want to see the introduction of minimum pricing on alcohol to help traditional pubs in their battle against cheap supermarket offers. As well as helping the troubled pub industry, they feel that raising the price of cheap alcohol would help deter youngsters from binge drinking and help reduce crime levels.

Ruthin-based Llyr, who will be the Plaid candidate in the forthcoming Westminster election, said today:

“Many local landlords have been raising their concerns about the difficulties they’re facing as they fight to compete with the low alcohol prices in supermarkets.

“Over the next few weeks, we will be contacting operators of licensed premises in Ruthin, Colwyn Bay, Abergele and other parts of the constituency, asking if they’d like to see the introduction of minimum pricing on alcohol."


Plaid has welcomed recommendations in a recent report by the House of Commons Health Committee to introduce a minimum price for alcohol. Other recommendations included restrictions on advertising visible to children and a ban on alcohol ads on social networking websites.

Llyr continued:

"There is very strong evidence from the British Medical Association, amongst others, that introducing a minimum price on alcohol can make a real difference in tackling the binge drinking culture.

“The current culture of low prices in supermarkets is also very bad for many of the pubs in our communities, who can’t compete on prices, and who often find themselves in a situation where customers will have had a lot to drink before they arrive. Responsible landlords might even be in a position of feeling that they can’t serve them.

“I’m seeking the views of people in pub businesses in the area to find out their views on a minimum price for alcohol, and other steps that they’d like to see government in Cardiff or London taking to support their businesses.

“The local pub is an integral part of our community and we’ve lost too many of them in recent years. I want to see what we can do to support the pubs that we have here, and to help ensure that they have a prosperous future.”


There has been concern about worryingly high levels of alcoholism across Wales as people tend to drink more on their own at home as well as buying much stronger drinks than they would have perhaps done in the past. Cheap vodka is readily available from supermarkets and the low cost encourages people to drink much more as they 'frontload' or drink before going out for the evening.

Janet Ryder AM added

“Neighbourhood pubs can play a very important role in helping people drink responsibly because they are about more than just drinking. They are places for people of all ages to meet, and for older people in particular they offer company.

“With so many pubs across north Wales facing difficult times, we want to be able to offer them practical help.”