A blanket ban on new alcohol licences is being considered in Dundee.
Councillors agreed for the first time that it is too easy to get a drink in the city.
And they now they believe the council needs to get tougher on the issuing of licences to stop the damage caused by excessive drinking.
A cocktail of measures are being considered to rectify the situation, the most draconian of which would see a blanket ban on the issuing of new licences across the entire city, unless an applicant can prove their venue will not contribute to over-provision.
Other options to be considered in the consultation process include a ban on the issuing of licences in specific areas, such as particular wards or community regeneration areas.
Councillor Stewart Hunter, a member of the council’s licensing board, said they would not rule anything out.
He said: “We need to consult with all umbrella bodies and members of the public in Dundee to see how best to move this forward. But all options should be on the table.”
However, the board also expressed its reluctance to jump to any decision without proper forethought.
Councillor Gregor Murray said: “One point is that the number of licences, especially in relation to off-licences, is not a very good indicator (of over-provision) as it does not take into account the size and scale of a premises.
“You could have hundreds of corner shops who do not sell as much alcohol as one supermarket.
“We need more of a consultation. For instance, my ward has two pubs in it for 15,000 people.
“My ward is allegedly over-provided for, but (The Ferry) has 46 pubs and is not over-provided for.”
The board is required to make an “overprovision assessment” under the 2005 Scottish licensing act, but previously took the view that “it had yet to be presented with sufficient evidence to enable it to state that there is any such over-provision in Dundee”.
However, a report provided by the Dundee Alcohol and Drug Partnership produced shocking conclusions into the social and monetary cost of alcohol in Dundee.