easier way would be to sort out all the benefit scammers, and turn doll money pay outs into a more credit based or token based scheme. i.e the doll money goes towards paying for the rent/bills and food in the local shops rather than people taking the money straight down the pub and news agents to buy booze and fags. Its simple, its too easy to live off the 'system', yeah you cant afford nice things, but you dont have to do too much in order to get free money. Also supermarkets selling cheap booze dosen't help at least in a pub the land lords can monitor who gets booze and how much they consum. Pub, you can drink until the landlord feels you have had enough supermarket, anyone for a couple of 1 litre bottles of vodka and a 2L bottle of white lightening?
Another case of the tail wagging the dog again. Let's forget about the thousands of people who do drink responsibly and benefit from cheap booze. As said earlier in the post, increase the punishment for alcohol related crimes. Maybe if people were threatened with loss of benefit/job for drunken assault etc it might wake a few of them up. Sometimes the punishment needs to be (seemingly) disproportionate to the crime to act as a culture shock. This Country has always had a bad stigma regarding drink. Way overdue for some change. NHS staff in particular should not have to put up with the crap they deal with in A&E every single weekend.
The problem with such laws is that they are practically unenforceable. Remember the war on drugs? Same thing. Not to mention that shop keepers can lose their livelihood over a single mistake (or over feeling too intimidated to refuse custom to some big-ass lads). Not to mention that the law enforcement and prison system is overcrowded as it is --have you seen the city centre on a Friday night? Have you seen the A&E's? How many people would you have to put through the justice and prison system? Market forces will dictate that the pub prices will go up too. And as Burnout says: at least a landlord can refuse you custom when you've had enough. You're going off-topic now. But as I said, I know colleagues who work in the alcohol services. I have had a bit to do with that client group myself, by association (lots of pissed people have mental health issues and/or get brain injury). 40% of all A&E visits are alcohol related. This goes up to 70% over the weekends. Some idiots? They're the vast majority, me thinks. I think you are the one making sweeping statements now. We're not depriving the poor of food. Again: research has shown repeatedly and consistently that raising the price of alcohol reduces binge drinking.
Well, sometimes research is a load of crap mate, and on this occasion, it is too. Research suggests that games make people violent, and steroids cause roid rage and are bad for you, and global warming is caused by humans, but we all know that's utter ********. If people want to get pissed, they will get pissed, PERIOD, many spend over £50 a night getting pissed, and if the new law means they have to spend £100 to get pissed, they will, and that's it. And what I've heard today is prices arn't going to be raised very high, they will be slightly more expensive, so at the end of the day, it's like this. Government gets more money People still getting pissed End of. The Scottish are known for heavy drinking, so nothing will stop it. Maybe, the NHS should stop wasting money helping people that have got seriously ill drinking, maybe use the money instead to help people that actually need help that was not caused by being an idiot. You get liver problems, that's your ****ing fault, shouldn't of got pissed every night for the last how many years. Or maybe you get pissed, fall over, and break your leg, well, sorry, you were pissed, and it's your fault, so you gotta pay the bill.
Its fine, to pay for the drink I will just give up takeaway! That way it all balances out (oh, except for the takeaway...). edit: also, the research isn't a load of crap, though it doesn't stop it being annoying :<
I don't know what I'd have done as a student if you weren't allowed to buy booze until 21... ... oh, wait, maybe go to the pub, presumably that would stay at 18? I'm not sure the argument about landlords looking after people works, most people who get too drunk would be out in town in the bars and clubs where the bar staff can't hear you talk, let alone care how drunk you are. It's a minority who cause the trouble. They should be targeted, simple as that. This might be good for homebrewing though - I've got 30 pints of strong lager in my cupboard and it only cost a tenner.
sits eatting popcorn until nexxo slaps this thread once more with common sense and watchs the fallout flaming generated by 'you know who'
War on drugs is stopping illegal narcoctics bring brought into and sold within the UK, dont see how that applys to punishing shop keepers who sell alcohol to people under the age of 18. Yes shop keepers could lose there livelyhood, why not? If there selling to kids the law allows them to have 2 chances within a set period of time then there license can be removed; as far as im concerned thats what should be done and they should be checked far more oftern than they already are. This removes the mistake factor completely. It also dosnt have to pass through the courts as its done by trading standards and the council, plus if police find alcohol on children they can also raise fears with the council about certain shops selling alcohol which can lead to the license to sell being removed. Again though this law is going to have no effect on a town centre on a Friday night since its only going to affect Supermarkets/Off licenses and some drink hour promotions and I cant see that stopping people getting wasted. He has his point of view I have mine, I just think its daft not enforcing current legislation and bringing in more. Its a democracy allows people to air there points of view I respect his and hopefully he does mine.
I wasn't refering to you chap, someone else here on this forum has a short temper, too which i expect them to start flaming soon. Surprised they've lasted this long tbh.
Much research handles complex issues, and therefore results are difficult to interpret. The correlation between the price of alcohol and alcohol consumption is not one of them. It's pretty obvious to be honest. Just like the fact that steroids are bad for you. If you are saying that it won't make any difference and the price raise is not that high, then why are you complaining? Next time you are in hospital with some injury or illness that could possibly have been the fault of your own stupidity, I'm sure that you'll appreciate a very detailed assessment of your behavioural history before giving you painkillers (you could just be addicted to them, after all) or treating you. Or perhaps we send you the bill later? Are you going to pay if you disagree with the assessment of your stupidity? There is no practical or efficient way to decide who is "deserving" or not. Just look at the US health care system as a reasonable parallel. It is significantly more expensive than the NHS' free healthcare for all. Does it work? It is interesting how you are more concerned about the welfare of binge drinkers than of shop keepers who work hard to make a living.
Dang nexxo, your post is like a fresh cup of italian coffee in the morning, IT F*CKING WAKES YOU UP! and the rest of the day makes sense.
From my experiences with alcohol (well my stand back from the sidelines and watch experiences) I would be all for a raise in the price of alcohol. I have had 2-3 separate occasions where I have had a roommate come in with his drunk girlfriend (who is only 17) and then proceed to have sex in the bed next to me which less than 2ft from me. All the experiences I have witnessed people have with alcohol (except some fun ones where a guy let us shoot blow darts into his back) have ended up with pissed people, or people doing stupid ****.
Priceless! All my years of drink, i have only had 1 ok maybe 2 times where i was worse for wear, but never ended badly. Usually every night i have a bottle of light beer over a few hours, my job is fairly stressful atm, and a beer just helps my sleep, never more than one bottle, not now. We must also remember this, cheap booze keeps the masses quiet in times of hardship in the economy. Keep them amused with fags and booze and it keeps them under control even tho there a little messy.
i miss spelt it, ment dole money. By means of gaining a small amount of cash from the government every two weeks for doing F**K all!
Frankly, I don't think this goes quite far enough. Minimum prices are a start, but personally I'd add a 10-15% tax on all alcoholic drinks to supplement NHS funding. Same applies to tobacco products, but at a higher rate (an outright ban would be better, but doesn't seem realistic at this time). Increasing the cost of these products will reduce their usage, improving public health and the burden on the NHS, and a direct tax will more efficiently direct funds to effectively treat misuse. These are not essential purchases, and those that feel that they are may be the most vulnerable and in the long term most likely to benefit from a reduction in use.
If they're not drinking or smoking they're saving money. Surely there are better, and even more entertaining uses. Honestly, who would choose to smoke? It doesn't make them feel better than a non-smoker, it's only because they've become accustomed/addicted to it that they feel the need to smoke.
I agree bump the price up people will still buy it, as there too dumb to produce hooch here in the UK. I reckon with current drink related hospital visits here in the UK, the added money generate from the high tax on alcohol would buy a MRI machine for one hospital each week. lol! I was in nottingham A+E one friday evening after my partner cut her hand washing up, i got talking to a copper in there, and he told me he is stationed in the A+E dept from friday until monday morning its that bad. Also a big problem is uni students, i should know i've lived with a far share. Trent uni here in notts seems to be booze fueled rather than academic achievements. I grow sick of it.
