Minimum alcohol pricing - latest?

[RUL]

What I don't understand is why the SNP don't seek the lawyer's viewpoint before wasting money on these ideas/schemes?

[buchanskii]

Think I picked up an 18 slab of nelson for about £10 the other week

 

How much cheaper is it going to get?

 

If people want to drink they will find a way, regardless of how much it costs

 

[Clydeside_Sheep]

Two cracking posts from the Oracle that is @@daytripping there.

 

Dead right that the time restrictions are what contributes to binge drinking, and also if it "pays for itself" (like smoking) then leave it alone.

 

To see you lay out the stark financial figures like that, the cynic in me wonders if the SNP didnt just view folk having a tipple as an easy cash-cow to exploit - again, like smoking.

[Poodler]

I've seen folk drinking alcohol hand gel. There's always a way.

[Henry]

Alcohol related hospital cases cost the NHS £6 Billion a year, total revenue from Alcohol sales for a year....£12 Billion a year, I read that this morning, some government study.

 

It pays for itself, the government should keep their noses out of it, it's a free market, do they really want people to live forever? the retirement age is getting bigger every second year as it is, you'll soon see 70 year old brickie labourers on building sites. Nanny state politics has a lot to answer for, just run the economy, stop telling people how to live.

 

 

Cost of alcohol misuse estimated at £2.5-4.6bn (per annum)

 

Alcohol revenue £0.96bn 2013-14

 

Both figures relate to Scotland.

[daytripping]

 

 

Cost of alcohol misuse estimated at £2.5-4.6bn (per annum)

 

Alcohol revenue £0.96bn 2013-14

 

Both figures relate to Scotland.

 

An obvious slanted view from our local level of government.....meanwhile a proper real report has been done that shows those figures are bollocks, don't trust the SNP to tell the truth, they're mostly a bunch of weegie housewifes and Northern farmers, idiots.

[daytripping]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/11840560/Drinkers-subsidising-non-drinkers-by-6.5-billion-a-year.html

 

No political views just facts.

 

Far from being a financial burden on taxpayers, people who enjoy alcohol pay the cost of dealing with drink-related social problems almost three times over in tax every year, in the analysis by the Institute of Economic Affairs, the free-market think-tank.

[Henry]

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/11840560/Drinkers-subsidising-non-drinkers-by-6.5-billion-a-year.html

 

No political views just facts.

 

 

 

 

The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) is a London-based, influential, right-wing think tank.

[RUL]

DayT has had a mare.

[daytripping]

I posted facts, no one else has.

 

Do you honestly believe if alcohol was proven to pay for itself the SNP would put it on their website while they were trying to force through a nanny state policy?

 

Surely no one is that naive?

 

That's why I go looking for the opinion of those who have nothing to gain from their reports.....why would being right wing mean the report writers would lie? as far as I know the right don't like a lot of things but alcohol has never been on their agenda, correct me if I'm wrong.

 

PS Take off the Nat specs, you lost the referendum, we're all still British, just debate the point not your political leaning.

[Henry]

Right wing as in big business, free-market, stop meddling governments etc etc

[RUL]

The UK tax receipts from booze aren't £12BN a year let alone Scotland's.

[daytripping]

The UK tax receipts from booze aren't £12BN a year let alone Scotland's.

 

We were discussing Britain not a small district within it, and they are £12 Billion.

[RAZOR]

I've seen folk drinking alcohol hand gel. There's always a way.

Lad I knew in the States, his Mum was a mad alchy and used to drink that when there was nothing kicking about.

[RUL]

 

We were discussing Britain not a small district within it, and they are £12 Billion.

 

In which case RUL has had a mare, I thought we were talking about a Scottish Government proposal to combat problems with booze in Scotland.

[The Cockney Don]

Saw this the other day about hand gel drinking http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-33983172

[daytripping]

 

In which case RUL has had a mare, I thought we were talking about a Scottish Government proposal to combat problems with booze in Scotland.

 

Sorry, I don't debate or bother with regional politics, my prime minister is David Cameron.

[ChutneyLove]

I've seen folk drinking alcohol hand gel. There's always a way.

Had a good night on a Danish oil rig a few years back drinking nips of citrus Listerine! Got a taste for it by the 2nd bottle.

[Henry]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-43197384

 

50p a unit to come into force in May.

 

Probably good news for your craft breweries - £1 a can for Tennents, Carling, Fosters etc

[Parklife]

Good news IMO.

[manboobs109]

Well intentioned but there will be unintended consequences. I honestly can't see the 50p a unit price making too much of a difference so it'll start creeping up so that it'll end up only the well off can have a bevvy.

[Bluto10]

Good news IMO.

Aye brilliant idea if you ask me.

 

No point fixing it at source by wasting money on education, unemployment levels etc.

Far better to massage the stats with a band aid, sorry fix, that raises heaps for the treasury

 

Win-win double bubble.

[Dal Riata Don]

If they get any more money in the coffers out of this then it should be put into action to stop folk over the age of let's say 25 wanting to binge drink regularly.

 

Won't be glamorous but it is worth the cost of several research grants and the staff hiring/ training required to implement their proposals.

[terenceandphilip]

The minimum pricing has to help stop people binging on that blue cider. You can currently get out of your tree for £2. Loads of it going on near my work in the city centre.

 

Scotland has quite a bad drink culture, but not as bad as it used to be. I much prefer how the Italians and Spanish drink. Drinking too much and getting drunk is a cultural norm, when really it should be frowned upon. It ain't cool being legless. At all.

[Henry]

Aye brilliant idea if you ask me.

 

No point fixing it at source by wasting money on education, unemployment levels etc.

Far better to massage the stats with a band aid, sorry fix, that raises heaps for the treasury

 

Win-win double bubble.

 

Classic.

 

Anyone remotely interested in anything on AFChat gets the standard Bluto

 

"LOL voting/gaming/comedy"

 

But threaten to put the price of drink up, and all of a sudden Bluto's coming out with well-written, acerbic replies.

[Bluto10]

Nae bothered about the price of drink H min

 

It was a reply to uber lefty Parky, who I would have expected to see such a policy as meaningless and not good news

[Parklife]

Aye brilliant idea if you ask me.

 

No point fixing it at source by wasting money on education, unemployment levels etc.

Far better to massage the stats with a band aid, sorry fix, that raises heaps for the treasury

 

Win-win double bubble.

Its not an either/or situation. Its possible to have both minimum pricing AND invest in educational campaigns to educate people of the long term effects of alcohol abuse.

 

And it wont generate any extra revenue for the treasury, as its not a tax.

[DD1903]

Its not an either/or situation. Its possible to have both minimum pricing AND invest in educational campaigns to educate people of the long term effects of alcohol abuse.

 

And it wont generate any extra revenue for the treasury, as its not a tax.

Do you think that those who binge on 3-litre bottles of frosty jacks etc a day pay much attention to educational campaigns on drinking?

 

I suspect this will have little change on the drinking culture in the country. Those who consume the cheap, strong booze will find ways and means of getting it cheap.

[Clydeside_Sheep]

I expect that this 50p a unit is only the beginning.

 

Within a few years I would expect one of the following scenarios to occur in Holyrood:

 

1) Announcement that the min alcohol price has had no effect and so clearly it is set too low. Accordingly the min price should be raised to (e.g.) £1.

 

2) Announcement that the min alcohol price has been a great success as shown by crime and health stats. And so lets go even further and reap even more benefit. Accordingly the min price should be raised to (e.g.) £1.

 

No-one would deny that Scotland has issues with alcohol, but its unfair that everyone is affected because of an irresponsible minority.

 

Our politicians are poor that they cannot come up with any ideas other than taking money from people.

[Clydeside_Sheep]

Its not an either/or situation. Its possible to have both minimum pricing AND invest in educational campaigns to educate people of the long term effects of alcohol abuse.

 

And it wont generate any extra revenue for the treasury, as its not a tax.

 

Agree with you about educating people, but then that is more involved than just taking money from people and, worse, means politicians and public sector employees would be accountable for their performance in delivering the education.

 

As for the treasury - im not so sure. Could this not be the framework of a stealth tax? The money is going somewhere, so if retailers are getting more profit from this (?) they must ultimately pay more tax, right?