The minimum price for alcohol policy
Here's a gripe that may be a familiar subject to those paying attention to the news these days. No more cheap beer at supermarkets because the government want to impose a minimum price for alcohol.
Cameron has hardly been in power ten minutes and he has started on the cheap beer in supermarkets being the root of all evil. I'm sorry, but I am pretty certain there are much more important issues that need to be tackled first by our new government.
When it's really cheap I stock up for months, I only drink a couple of cans a night, but I am classed as an alcholic and binge drinker and must be controlled. Are they basically saying I am going to go out and start fights because the drink I bought was cheap?
Don't they realise that a fair number of people in this country can't afford to go out to pubs now because of the high taxation that has been imposed on us? The pubs are mostly empty and closing down at an alarming rate as it is. If the minimum price on alcohol policy is brougt in then only the well off will be able to have a drink and the UK breweries will soon start to feel the effect as well. They will no doubt follow the pubs and start closing. So much for supporting British industries!
If they really want to clamp down on drink related violence, then they ought to start on the ones causing trouble, not penalising family men having a few cans of beer on the patio at night. It's basically like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut!
Using their logic, they should be putting up petrol because people die in car accidents, or taxing chip and kebab shops because people are getting fat and unhealthy.
They will no doubt implement this minimum alcohol pricing policy and the real reason is more tax, presumably so more wasterers can sit behind desks.
Well they won't beat me, I shall buy mine in France in bulk from now on!
By: Gainsborough lad.
Comments from visitors
1) limit the number of alcohol licences granted to outlets. I have always been baffled by 'small' corner shops that find the space (normally one shelf in a fridge) to sell alcohol. These outlets are 'probably' responsible for selling alcohol to minors;
2) advertising of alcohol should be banned from media, for example, television, radio, newspapers and the internet. Advertising of special offers should be limited to inside the outlet only, for example, supermarkets, and the promotion should be in the aisle displaying the alcohol items only. Alcohol should also be displayed at the 'back of store'. (I am not against special offers on alcohol, providing the outlet is responsible);
3) off licenses and public houses should be the only outlets allowed to sell high content alcohol, for example, 40% and above;
4) 'happy hour' should be held between Mon and Thur only.
www.icitizens.co.uk
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Nathan Anthony - 17-Aug-11 12:50
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Aren't ordinary people paying enough in taxes, council tax and now VAT hikes?
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IF anyone wanted to reduce the nuisance that drunks cause then deal with them directly. A return to old style pub hours would help perhaps with on the spot fines for licencees selling to drunks.
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There were many points raised against the proposals including, unfair tax on moderate
drinker etc. to the point raised by both the Tory/Labour benches that the increase would not be classed as a tax, so no money would go to the exchequer, but be kept by the retailers.
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Dannydom,Uddingston, N.Lanarks - 9-Oct-10 21:40
I like a drink but can rarely afford to go out in the evening but I do use cheap supermarket deals to buy , for example, three bottles of wine on special offer. I cannot afford and don't want to binge - I make them last and drink sensibly.
The lager louts that plague our town centres are mostly young people living with their parents and they will not be put off by raised prices.
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I don't see why the price should go up because of the irresponsible few which will make the responsible pay too.
I don't like alcohol being too cheap though as it encourages binge drinking but a fair price I will pay.
Put the prices up at the subsidised end where it can be sold at a minimum profit rather than at a loss i.e. the cheapest; but leave the rest of us alone as we already pay enough.
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Not Quite Tea Total - 15-Jun-10 15:28
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A well worded sentence to sum up the benefits of working all your life in the UK.
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Gainsborough lad. - 12-Jun-10 22:15
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UK is in denial.
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Knickerbockerglory - 12-Jun-10 10:37
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60 Units per week man - 12-Jun-10 01:17
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Rolled back for you - 10-Jun-10 00:12
Hey! what about a minimum price for firearms ammunition?
It would help reduce binge-shooting, especially by the coucil-estate/inner-city 'gangies' and would encourage people to murder responsibly.
The UK seems to be full of control freaks who want to regulate OTHER people's lives. It is a trend that seems to have arisen with the cotton-wooling of school-run/permanently supervised/never go out alone kids...who are now infantilised, insitutionalised egocentic little busybodies.
Adults to a-holes in so few gnerations....weeping as I type>
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The sight of under-age drinkers getting slaughtered is very sad, as is that of the 'fun-loving' 20 and 30 somethings - many of them women - thinking that 'caning it' like they see their sleb heroes doing in the magazines is the thing to do.
It is now cheaper to drink than ever before, and the alcohol that is consumed is often stronger and more easily available and strongly promoted than at any other time.
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