How to stop the Jocks boozing... or just rip them off.

[lcfcadam]

I find it deeply funny and also quite depressing that Sturgeon genuinely seems to believe this is going to do some good. It won't. Not one person will reduce their consumption, they'll either spend a bigger proportion of whatever money they have on booze, and / or turn to black market routes of supply.

[Captain...]

I find it deeply funny and also quite depressing that Sturgeon genuinely seems to believe this is going to do some good. It won't. Not one person will reduce their consumption, they'll either spend a bigger proportion of whatever money they have on booze, and / or turn to black market routes of supply.

I am assuming that most pubs already charge over 50p a unit, so one effect will be people will in back to drinking in the pub rather than at home which can only be a good thing, other than that I agree

[Webbo]

Price does have an affect, it was the only thing that made my parents give up smoking. Whether this will work or not I don't know but it's definitely worth trying.

[Zingari]

I'm just going to give up buying the kids clothes instead,

That should make up for the increase Problem solved

[Vacamion]

Hmmmmmmm . . .

Scotland hasn't had a riot in a while !

What shall we do ?

You have obviously not walked up Sauchiehall Street at 11pm on a Friday.

A lot of people (especiallly the underage drinkers) load up with cheap supermarket voddy and then go out on the town = carnage.

The SNP talk shite on a lot of issues, but minimum pricing (ie not affecting current prices over 50p a unit) is utterly sensible.

[THEFATBASTARD]

I once saved a jock from drowning in piss,he was down stream , face down in a urinal trough,14 blokes up stream were pissing and it was lapping up against the side of his face, none of them seemed to be bothered, so I pulled him out by his ankles. He mumbled "fook off", they do seem to have a problem.

[pSinatra]

[Jaspa]

You have obviously not walked up Sauchiehall Street at 11pm on a Friday.

A lot of people (especiallly the underage drinkers) load up with cheap supermarket voddy and then go out on the town = carnage.

The SNP talk shite on a lot of issues, but minimum pricing (ie not affecting current prices over 50p a unit) is utterly sensible.

Yes maybe so

But I'm on about large scale riots, like the ones seen around most of the world in recent years, and especially the English ones last year.

Scotland hasn't turned up to the party yet.

This bill is just all about raising taxes on the wrong parts of society

[Webbo]

This bill is just all about raising taxes on the wrong parts of society

This isn't a tax, there has been taxes on alcohol for years. This is telling the supermarkets they cannot charge below a certain level.

[I am Rod Hull]

I once saved a jock from drowning in piss,he was down stream , face down in a urinal trough,14 blokes up stream were pissing and it was lapping up against the side of his face, none of them seemed to be bothered, so I pulled him out by his ankles. He mumbled "fook off", they do seem to have a problem.

By piss do you mean Fosters?

[Jaspa]

This isn't a tax, there has been taxes on alcohol for years. This is telling the supermarkets they cannot charge below a certain level.

Its still a massive rip-off

More people that just drunks are going to have to pay more for their booze, especially with supermarkets, because that's where people rush to have a cheap drink or two before going out.

I haven't looked into this in depth really, all Ive said has been made on assumptions

[I am Rod Hull]

We seem to be more concerned with ale costs than the ridiculous hike in food prices....

Walking around Morrisons last week, they were charging 80p for a red pepper, 80 fvcking p for 1 red pepper , £1.99 for 3 at my local co-op, you fvcking price fixing bastards.

This is seriously fvcking me off, I love my home made chilli, currys and fajitas.

[Vacamion]

Yes maybe so

But I'm on about large scale riots, like the ones seen around most of the world in recent years, and especially the English ones last year.

Scotland hasn't turned up to the party yet.

This bill is just all about raising taxes on the wrong parts of society

I disagree.

Scotland, like some parts of the rest of the UK, has a problem. In fact it has several interrelated problems:

1. Alcohol is sold by some supermarkets at a loss to entice customers in.

2. Our streets and a&E departments are a warzone at the weekend.

3. People are not just overindulging occasionally, they are killling themselves. Cirrhosis rates are through the roof. The rest of Europe doesn't have anthing like the problem we have.

4. Underrage drinking is increasing.

5. Lots of crime is committed by those under the influence of alcohol.

6. Pubs are closing at an alarming rate, as Supermarkets undercut them and people voddy up at home.

This measure is bettter than doing nothing.

I have no problem with people drinking or even getting drunk occasionally, if they can afford it, although everyone should be responsible for their behaviour, I just think that selling alocohol cheaper than lemonade is wrong.

Canada introduced minimum pricing per unit and it apppears to have worked there. I say give the measure a chance.

[Jaspa]

I disagree.

Scotland, like some parts of the rest of the UK, has a problem. In fact it has several interrelated problems:

1. Alcohol is sold by some supermarkets at a loss to entice customers in.

2. Our streets and a&E departments are a warzone at the weekend.

3. People are not just overindulging occasionally, they are killling themselves. Cirrhosis rates are through the roof. The rest of Europe doesn't have anthing like the problem we have.

4. Underrage drinking is increasing.

5. Lots of crime is committed by those under the influence of alcohol.

6. Pubs are closing at an alarming rate, as Supermarkets undercut them and people voddy up at home.

This measure is bettter than doing nothing.

I have no problem with people drinking or even getting drunk occasionally, if they can afford it, although everyone should be responsible for their behaviour, I just think that selling alocohol cheaper than lemonade is wrong.

Canada introduced minimum pricing per unit and it apppears to have worked there. I say give the measure a chance.

Well I have to disagree with some of your conclusions

Raising the price obviously isn't going to solve the problem, it may stop a few from getting in above their heads, but the vast majority will find ways irregardless of getting smashed, this is still just another way to raise charges on yet another consumer product.

Its blindingly obvious Scotland has a drinking problem, it has for a very, very long time. Raising the price isn't going to solve anything

As for youth drinking in Scotland it seems your youth have some major cultural issues that need to be resolved an then maybe there wont be so many underage drinkers.

[Vacamion]

Well I have to disagree with some of your conclusions

Raising the price obviously isn't going to solve the problem, it may stop a few from getting in above their heads, but the vast majority will find ways irregardless of getting smashed, this is still just another way to raise charges on yet another consumer product.

Its blindingly obvious Scotland has a drinking problem, it has for a very, very long time. Raising the price isn't going to solve anything

As for youth drinking in Scotland it seems your youth have some major cultural issues that need to be resolved an then maybe there wont be so many underage drinkers.

Don't want to do this to death, but two quick points:

I am NOT Scottish. I am part of one of Scotland's largest immigrant communities. I'm English. Whilst you weren't to know, I do take offence. If you've ever called a Jock an Englishman, you'll know what I mean. I think it actually qualifies me very well to comment on the difference in drinking cultures North & South of the border.

Secondly. I have direct experience of working in some of Glasgow's poorest Council estates. The £7 bottle of vodka and the cheap 2l bottle of Cider are directly responsible for loads of misery amongst the poorest people with the lowest life expectancies. Granted, alcoholics will drink even if they can't afford it, but binge drinkers who are on a tight budget (ie those who have a problem but not full alcoholism) will have to make a decision about what they spend their money on. Therefore, your suggestion that this will make no difference is something I can't agree with.

[Saxondale]

We seem to be more concerned with ale costs than the ridiculous hike in food prices....

Walking around Morrisons last week, they were charging 80p for a red pepper, 80 fvcking p for 1 red pepper , £1.99 for 3 at my local co-op, you fvcking price fixing bastards.

This is seriously fvcking me off, I love my home made chilli, currys and fajitas.

You're not wrong. All food seems to have gone up dramatically in the past three or four years. I presume it's the high fuel prices affecting the distribution costs, mainly.

EDIT: That and them being greedy, price-fixing bastards.

[Captain...]

I would have thought a better approach would be to stop buy one get one free offers, or discounted crates and boxes of beer. Some times I only go in for a bottle of ale because I deserve one, I end buying 3 because they are on offer 3 for 2.

Or a 4 pack for an evening in but it is so much better value to get a crate of 12, so I do as I know I will have some need for more beer at some point. Then I end up drinking more than I planned.

I don't think 50p a unit will make that much difference if they still try and up sell on bulk and won't effect the pub trade. I would happily see a limit on what 1 person can buy, and smaller bottles of spirits being sold as the norm, and smaller bottles of wine being available at a reasonable price rather than half the price for 1/4 of the volume.

[Jaspa]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-18226813

Scottish drink-drive limit 'to be lowered'

The drink-drive limit in Scotland will be lowered "as a priority", the Scottish government has said.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said plans to lower the limit from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg will be brought forward later this year.

He said it was intended the change would take effect as soon as possible.

The power to change the limit was handed to Holyrood under the 2012 Scotland Act, which recently received royal assent.

Last week, Scotland became the first part of the UK to introduce a minimum price for a unit of alcohol.

Mr MacAskill said: "The Scottish government has long called for a reduction in the drink-driving limit to 50mg.

"We strongly believe that reducing the drink-driving limit will save lives, and evidence from across Europe shows that alcohol-related road deaths drop dramatically where the limit has been reduced."

Zero tolerance

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie had earlier urged ministers to make use of the new powers as soon as possible.

He said: "The new powers devolved under the Scotland Bill present us with some fantastic opportunities to shape the Scotland we want to live in.

Scottish Labour's justice spokesman Lewis Macdonald said: "This a welcome development and something I called for several weeks ago, so I am delighted that the Scottish government are in listening mode.

"We need to get the details right, but the SNP will have our support on the issue as the Scottish Parliament works through the fine print."

Scottish Conservative deputy leader Jackson Carlaw welcomed the proposals.

He said: "We believe that everything should be done to reduce road deaths caused directly by alcohol."

European countries

The limit in England and Wales would remain at 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.

The Republic of Ireland lowered the limits last year sparking calls for Northern Ireland to follow suit.

Northern Ireland's Environment Minister Alex Attwood said he hoped to bring in legislation to introduce lower blood alcohol concentration levels for drivers by the autumn.

The blood alcohol limit in the Irish Republic dropped from 80mg per 100ml to 20mg per 100ml for learner drivers, newly qualified drivers and professional drivers.

The limit for all other drivers went down from 80mg/100ml to 50mg/100ml.

The 50mg/100ml applies in several European countries, including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. Some of the countries have variations, with newly-qualified drivers in Spain having a lower limit.

Campaigners said the Scottish plan was a step in the right direction but a zero-tolerance approach remained their ultimate aim.

Sarah Fatica, general manager at Brake, the road safety charity, said: "A 50mg limit does still leave some level of confusion for the general public about what is safe."

Ms Fatica said she would ultimately welcome a limit of 20mg or less, saying the "best message" to send out was one of zero tolerance for driving after drinking.

Carole Whittingham, spokeswoman for the Campaign against Drinking and Driving, said she was behind the Scottish government 100% but also called for a lower limit to be brought in in the future.

"I'm so glad to hear that somebody is actually grasping the nettle at last," she said.

"Scotland has highlighted that they've got a problem. I just wish that the Westminster Government would do the same."

More drink related, possible money generation up there

Any thoughts ?

Other than this is a very poorly written article