PM backing alcohol minimum pricing..

[James.]

They are also talking about the fact that this stops the loss leading promotions which make a beer about 40p a can. If that beer is 2+ units you are doubling the price. 2 for £30 doesn't sounds quite so appealing does it? Changing the habit from "I'l buy a mountain of beer becuase its on offer" to "I'll get a few beers for tonight" might make a big difference. We dont know, but it might.

I guess it depends on which group the government really want to tackle with this law.

I'm not convinced it will help the homeless. It certainly won't impact the binge drinking in city centres. It MAY reduce consumption in your example above Jon but then is that really a priority? And more importantly should we really be punishing people who buy special offers in supermarkets? I would say they should be capable of making their own decisions.

[davieG]

I guess it depends on which group the government really want to tackle with this law.

I'm not convinced it will help the homeless. It certainly won't impact the binge drinking in city centres. It MAY reduce consumption in your example above Jon but then is that really a priority? And more importantly should we really be punishing people who buy special offers in supermarkets? I would say they should be capable of making their own decisions.

I buy them and i can make my own decisions.

[Zingari]

apparently it might be illegal under EU law

http://news.stv.tv/politics/203119-minimum-alcohol-pricing-ruled-incompatible-with-eu-regulations/

[Carl the Llama]

YOU CAN'T TELL US HOW TO LIVE, BRUSSELS!!!!

[absolutelegend]

apparently it might be illegal under EU law

http://news.stv.tv/p...eu-regulations/

are we really still in the EU? FFS

[foxesfan1989]

This government wont be happy until poor people are miserable, I truly believe that.

[davieG]

_{The solution is prohibition or at least a variance of it, make it illegal to sell drinks with an alcohol level above a maximum figure, say 2%.}

[Webbo]

This government wont be happy until poor people are miserable, I truly believe that.

Drink doesn't necessarily make you happy.

[Jon the Hat]

This government wont be happy until poor people are miserable, I truly believe that.

Really? Truly? Go on then, enlighten us as to why you would think such a thing, and indeed how this particular law aimed at reducing the illness related to heavy consumption of alcohol will make the poor less happy.

_{The solution is prohibition or at least a variance of it, make it illegal to sell drinks with an alcohol level above a maximum figure, say 2%.}

Stop feeding the idiots.

[absolutelegend]

This government wont be happy until poor people are miserable, I truly believe that.

yes, because that is the reason governements bring in policies like this. not in an attempt to improve known issues in our society.

[davieG]

This government wont be happy until poor people are miserable, I truly believe that.

They already are.

[absolutelegend]

The poor in russia who have access to an abundance of strong, cheap booze are some of the happiest and healthiest in the world

[foxesfan1989]

People drink to escape a little bit, or to de-stress. Mainly working class people too. I know I do it after work, a beer helps when you do not like your job. That is hurting no-one as long as you do not go to extremes. If it is a health thing then why is it only booze? So many other things that we could tax e.g McDonalds. Or we could just make massive corporations pay some real tax money than the 1-2% they seem to get away with. Cameron and Osbourne are millionaire toffs who look down on the working class and it shows in their policies.

[ScouseFox]

Annoying. I'm not homeless, or an alcoholic, or someone who ends up in A&E often after a night out binging.

I go out with my mates of a weekend and have a good time. That'll probably cost me about twice as much now, cheers.

[Steven]

_{The solution is prohibition or at least a variance of it, make it illegal to sell drinks with an alcohol level above a maximum figure, say 2%.}

Excellent idea. I would lower that to 0%

[sphericalfox]

The poor in russia who have access to an abundance of strong, cheap booze are some of the happiest and healthiest in the world

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/russianow/society/8859964/Tax-rises-in-Russia.html

This implementation has caused a HUGE rise in home-brews and poor people killing themselves from alcohol poisoning.

http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1072399.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/opinion/17Schrad.html

I'm not suggesting that we may suffer an epidemic, but I imagine as things progress, and this starts the ball rolling, we shall certainly find an increase in bootleg booze.

[davieG]

Annoying. I'm not homeless, or an alcoholic, or someone who ends up in A&E often after a night out binging.

I go out with my mates of a weekend and have a good time. That'll probably cost me about twice as much now, cheers.

If you do your drinking out in pubs/clubs it wont affect you at all as they already charge over 45p/unit, it's those stay at home like me that'll end up paying more.

[ScouseFox]

If you do your drinking out in pubs/clubs it wont affect you at all as they already charge over 45p/unit, it's those stay at home like me that'll end up paying more.

I, and I think most young people (the ones I know, anyway), do most drinking at home before going out, because it's already too expensive once you're out and about. Now it'll be expensive to drink at home, too.

Just seems to almost be punishing people, preventing them from doing something they enjoy. I've never harmed anyone, anything or myself after having a drink, and never been to hospital or arrested, so never wasted any government money etc. yet I've gotta go out less and have less fun if this happens because they've made it more expensive.

[BunkMoreland]

I, and I think most young people (the ones I know, anyway), do most drinking at home before going out, because it's already too expensive once you're out and about. Now it'll be expensive to drink at home, too.

Just seems to almost be punishing people, preventing them from doing something they enjoy. I've never harmed anyone, anything or myself after having a drink, and never been to hospital or arrested, so never wasted any government money etc. yet I've gotta go out less and have less fun if this happens because they've made it more expensive.

To be fair, unless you exclusively go for the super cheap deals, then it probably won't even be any more expensive.

[sphericalfox]

I, and I think most young people (the ones I know, anyway), do most drinking at home before going out, because it's already too expensive once you're out and about. Now it'll be expensive to drink at home, too.

Just seems to almost be punishing people, preventing them from doing something they enjoy. I've never harmed anyone, anything or myself after having a drink, and never been to hospital or arrested, so never wasted any government money etc. yet I've gotta go out less and have less fun if this happens because they've made it more expensive.

Sometimes to you just have to make and do.

[Charl91]

No more Three Hammers for me

[Captain...]

I fully support this initiative, even though I disagree generally with this government, it is not about taxing the poor, tax is not going up on alcohol, it is about ensuring shops and brewers don't feed people's addictions to make money.

Things like white lightening and tenants extra strong lager are made and stocked for the role reason of selling cheap shit for people to get smashed on.

It will also stop supermarkets trying to up sell lager by offering bulk deals and use it as a loss leader to attract customers.

Most 500ml cans and pints of normal lager will have a minimum of less than 90p a can, it is only super strength stuff or dirt cheap own brands that will actually go up, and buying in bulk it won't affect even the cheapest pub or car except on their cheap promotions nights like quids in, or bogof even then most bogofs will be above the minimum.

Unless I have missed something, I only skim read the article, the government will not make anymore money off it, and the average drinker will not be affected, only students and tramps.

[davieG]

I fully support this initiative, even though I disagree generally with this government, it is not about taxing the poor, tax is not going up on alcohol, it is about ensuring shops and brewers don't feed people's addictions to make money.

Things like white lightening and tenants extra strong lager are made and stocked for the role reason of selling cheap shit for people to get smashed on.

It will also stop supermarkets trying to up sell lager by offering bulk deals and use it as a loss leader to attract customers.

Most weak lager will have a minimum of less than 90p a can, it is only super strength stuff that will actually go up, and buying in bulk it won't affect even the cheapest pub or car except on their cheap promotions nights like quids in, or bogof even then most bogofs will be above the minimum.

Unless I have missed something, I only skim read the article, the government will not make anymore money off it, and the average drinker will not be affected, only students and tramps.

So will we now see minimum prices on multi offerings/cheap promotions of junk food like crisps, chocolate/sweets, large servings of Mcdonalds anything with excessive amounts of salt, fat or sugar in them.

I'll be affected because I usually buy when these special offers are on, I don't make a point of it but if I'm in a supermarket and there's a good deal on and I need some beer then I'll buy it, in fact it's the only way I do buy it.

[Trav Le Bleu]

I don't know why the government didn't just say, "I told you so, I said that if you didn't stop drinking you'd spoil it for everybody else, but you wouldn't listen and now everybody has to suffer and it's all your fault!"

[Captain...]

So will we now see minimum prices on multi offerings/cheap promotions of junk food like crisps, chocolate/sweets, large servings of Mcdonalds anything with excessive amounts of salt, fat or sugar in them.

Hope so.

If you want a state healthcare system you can't blame the state for trying to protect it and lower its costs by forcing us to take better care of our bodies.

It is not just about state control it also about market regulation, I would rather have the state trying to regulate what we consume than the markets given free reign to push as much food and drink down our throats as possible.