INVERCLYDE has today topped another league table, one that comes with no accolade, and with the only recognition being the knowledge that the district's lofty position is thoroughly depressing.

Just a week after drug death figures revealed a further surge in fatalities comes the news that Inverclyde has the worst alcohol-related death rate in the whole of Scotland.

Not only that, we've kept this 'title' for the last five years in a row.

Booze is legal, whereas the likes of heroin and cocaine are not, but the harm it does from being a problem in plain sight is every bit as bad.

Budgets have been cut in recent years for vital services which may have gone a long way to preventing some of these deaths.

The chief executive of Scottish Families Affected by Drugs and Alcohol — a charity founded in Inverclyde — argues that alcohol related deaths are 'played down' amid the focus on drugs.

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It's time for a recalibration regarding the harm that alcohol does until there is no hope left for those whose lives are cut short through its consumption.

Funding and fresh ideas are vital in order to properly address the issue.

Many people will say that drinking responsibly poses no danger.

However, do the producers of our tipples make their vast profits from those of us who stick to the recommended six pints of beer or six glasses on wine every week?