‘Buckie’ sold in cans to stop crime

THE MOVE to produce Buckfast Tonic Wine in smaller quantities and in cans as well as bottles has been welcomed by a leading health expert in Scotland, where the alcoholic drink has been blamed for contributing to crimes and violence.

The tonic wine, which contains caffeine as well as 15 per cent alcohol, comes from the Benedictine monks at Buckfast Abbey in Devon and is currently produced in 75cl ­bottles. The drink’s distributors, J. Chandler and Co., have resisted pressure from the Scottish Government to produce the beverage in plastic bottles, but have now announced that they will produce 16,000 cans of the drink for the summer season, in 25cl cans.

Growing controversy has surrounded the drink, known as “Buckie” in Scotland, where between 2010 and 2012, 6,500 crime reports in the Strathclyde area cited the involvement of the drink, according to the BBC.

Dr Peter Rice, the chairman of the Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems, said the new cans were a step forward.