Scots to bring in minimum price booze
Discussion
Lord Marylebone said:
moanthebairns said:
More often than not the abuse stems from social or mental issues, this is widely accepted to effect the poorest in society. That's the bigger issue.
I wouldn't disagree with that.I guess there have been a million and one studies carried out that ask 'why do the poorest Scots drink too much?' and the answers are presumably things that Scotland is struggling to do anything about.
What you described I'd say isn't a drug. I've four powerful bikes in the garage. The only natural thing that's came close to a high on cocaine or similar was the opening laps of a race. I've been through suicidal depression from a situation outwith my control. I've abused drugs, drink and prescribed drugs just to allow myself to function. I'll always remember being frank to a doctor about it. His words were "self medication". You do what you have to do if it means you don't end up killing yourself. Naturally he helped me in other ways that was more beneficial for my health. But he understood that people at their lowest points find ways to cope with life.
I'm fortunate in ways. I'm reasonably educated, have a fair income and I'd self medicate with discipline whilst I went through a few years of utter hell out with my control.
I had things to look forward to some degree that would allow me to function on dependences and it was at the lower end of the scale. For many of these people they have no hope. They are bred into it. Now I'm not getting all Liberal on this. There are a
holes out their that will always be. But I'm currently working with an alcoholic as I have done in the past with others. A functioning, pleasant member of society for whatever personal reason has turned to self medicate themselves. A small price increase isn't going to change an addiction like this.
It's a greater social issue. And I get it its very hard to understand fully if you've had a prosperous life where nothing has went wrong and you wake up most days happy. There's varying levels all over the spectrum.
This isn't the solution. 5 years wasted fighting this.
Lord Marylebone said:
+1
The alcohol problems in Scotland are horrific, and far worse than the rest of the UK.
I read that some of the most popular selling items such as 3 litres of strong cider for £3.29 will become nearly £12.
As far as I'm concerned, no one needs 3 litres of 7.5% cider for £3.29, and it exists for one reason only, and that is to enable people to get drunk, or remain drunk, very very cheaply.
There is simply no need for those kinds of beverages to be sold anywhere.
If it makes people drink less because it costs too much then that's fine by me.
I agree with Breadvan in so far as I don't normally agree with such government interference, but with things like cheap alcohol and cigarettes, I don't have a problem.
I believe the average amount of alcohol sold per head is 15% higher in Scotland than England. Glasgow and other surrounding deprived areas stand out as being the worst. They make up a significant amount of Scotland's population and distort the figures a bit in my opinion.The alcohol problems in Scotland are horrific, and far worse than the rest of the UK.
I read that some of the most popular selling items such as 3 litres of strong cider for £3.29 will become nearly £12.
As far as I'm concerned, no one needs 3 litres of 7.5% cider for £3.29, and it exists for one reason only, and that is to enable people to get drunk, or remain drunk, very very cheaply.
There is simply no need for those kinds of beverages to be sold anywhere.
If it makes people drink less because it costs too much then that's fine by me.
I agree with Breadvan in so far as I don't normally agree with such government interference, but with things like cheap alcohol and cigarettes, I don't have a problem.
Never have I crossed the border and noticed anything differently with people's attitude to drink and drugs. The vast majority of the time it is groups of young drunken English guys that are at the centre of trouble any time I've visited a lively holiday resort.
Can you really get 3 litres of 7.5% alcohol for £3.29? That will be £11.25 with the increase.
That's exactly the people I think they are aiming for. People who have the main aim of getting pissed as often and as cheaply as they can.
The price of spirits will hardly be touched. Vodka will be from £13.13 per bottle and 40% alcohol spirits £14. Most of the common spirits are already over the maximum.
It is just the cheap end drinks that will be hit.
Edited by Driver101 on Wednesday 15th November 19:13
Tony427 said:
By all means increase the cost of cheap powerful gut rot cider, but putting the unit cost of alcohol up to a minimum of 50p per unit will also double the cost of the most popular most take home beers and lagers such as Carlsberg, Carling and Fosters.
The beer is weak and cheap and for some people its their only "luxury" in life. The consumers of weak lager at home will not become alcoholics or create problems, they just have a couple or three cans each night.
I think people are getting far too worried about the effect this will have on 'normal' people.The beer is weak and cheap and for some people its their only "luxury" in life. The consumers of weak lager at home will not become alcoholics or create problems, they just have a couple or three cans each night.
I quote from the BBC:
"The 50p-per-unit minimum outlined by the legislation would raise the price of the cheapest bottle of red wine (9.4 units of alcohol) to £4.69, a four-pack of 500ml cans of 4% lager (8 units) would cost at least £4 and a 70cl bottle of whisky (28 units of alcohol) could not be sold for less than £14"
£4.69 for a bottle of red wine and £1 per can of 500ml Carlsberg/Fosters etc seems dirt cheap to me?
The prices are pretty much that as we stand right now.
The way I see it, is that this law really only goes after the really cheap bottles of vodka and '3 litres of strong cider for £3.29' and as I said earlier, there is absolutely no good reason for those types of drinks to exist at all.
I would be interested to know if this law genuinely affects anyone on here, because I'm doubting that it would.
moanthebairns said:
Lord Marylebone said:
moanthebairns said:
More often than not the abuse stems from social or mental issues, this is widely accepted to effect the poorest in society. That's the bigger issue.
I wouldn't disagree with that.I guess there have been a million and one studies carried out that ask 'why do the poorest Scots drink too much?' and the answers are presumably things that Scotland is struggling to do anything about.
What you described I'd say isn't a drug. I've four powerful bikes in the garage. The only natural thing that's came close to a high on cocaine or similar was the opening laps of a race. I've been through suicidal depression from a situation outwith my control. I've abused drugs, drink and prescribed drugs just to allow myself to function. I'll always remember being frank to a doctor about it. His words were "self medication". You do what you have to do if it means you don't end up killing yourself. Naturally he helped me in other ways that was more beneficial for my health. But he understood that people at their lowest points find ways to cope with life.
I'm fortunate in ways. I'm reasonably educated, have a fair income and I'd self medicate with discipline whilst I went through a few years of utter hell out with my control.
I had things to look forward to some degree that would allow me to function on dependences and it was at the lower end of the scale. For many of these people they have no hope. They are bred into it. Now I'm not getting all Liberal on this. There are a
holes out their that will always be. But I'm currently working with an alcoholic as I have done in the past with others. A functioning, pleasant member of society for whatever personal reason has turned to self medicate themselves. A small price increase isn't going to change an addiction like this.
It's a greater social issue. And I get it its very hard to understand fully if you've had a prosperous life where nothing has went wrong and you wake up most days happy. There's varying levels all over the spectrum.
This isn't the solution. 5 years wasted fighting this.
k. It ticks all the boxes, most individuals didn't seem to have teeth, all the teenage girls were huge, loads of mentally ill and broken people wandering about. Most of these seemed to be in Asda. As good as a foreign country. Alcohol and tobacco/weed is thier only hobby, might not to be too clever taking this outlet away. grumbledoak said:
Driver101 said:
It is just the cheap end drinks that will be hit.
So it will probably most affect those already choosing between booze and food.It does sound like the theory is to price them out of alcohol abuse. It might work, It might cause them to spend more on drink and less elsewhere.
With the price of cigarettes pushed to the maximum less people than ever choose to smoke. It's decreasing year on year and long after the smoking ban was introduced in Scotland.
Lord Marylebone said:
I think people are getting far too worried about the effect this will have on 'normal' people.
I quote from the BBC:
"The 50p-per-unit minimum outlined by the legislation would raise the price of the cheapest bottle of red wine (9.4 units of alcohol) to £4.69, a four-pack of 500ml cans of 4% lager (8 units) would cost at least £4 and a 70cl bottle of whisky (28 units of alcohol) could not be sold for less than £14"
£4.69 for a bottle of red wine and £1 per can of 500ml Carlsberg/Fosters etc seems dirt cheap to me?
The prices are pretty much that as we stand right now.
The way I see it, is that this law really only goes after the really cheap bottles of vodka and '3 litres of strong cider for £3.29' and as I said earlier, there is absolutely no good reason for those types of drinks to exist at all.
I would be interested to know if this law genuinely affects anyone on here, because I'm doubting that it would.
It would increase my costs a little if brought in N.IrelandI quote from the BBC:
"The 50p-per-unit minimum outlined by the legislation would raise the price of the cheapest bottle of red wine (9.4 units of alcohol) to £4.69, a four-pack of 500ml cans of 4% lager (8 units) would cost at least £4 and a 70cl bottle of whisky (28 units of alcohol) could not be sold for less than £14"
£4.69 for a bottle of red wine and £1 per can of 500ml Carlsberg/Fosters etc seems dirt cheap to me?
The prices are pretty much that as we stand right now.
The way I see it, is that this law really only goes after the really cheap bottles of vodka and '3 litres of strong cider for £3.29' and as I said earlier, there is absolutely no good reason for those types of drinks to exist at all.
I would be interested to know if this law genuinely affects anyone on here, because I'm doubting that it would.
I drink stella and buy 10 packs in Asdas for my sins.
At the min Asda are doing 3, 10 packs of stella for £21 so £7 for 10 440ml of stellas
each 440m tin has 2.1 units of alcohol so each tin would cost me £1.05.
so those 3 cases would be a min of £31.50.
Granted not a huge increase but I bought 9 cases to do me over 4 weeks and it woud all add up.
Lord Marylebone said:
stupidbutkeen said:
Granted not a huge increase but I bought 9 cases to do me over 4 weeks and it woud all add up.
Is that just over 3 cans every day for 4 weeks, Or have I miscalculated?I tend to have quite a few on a friday night followed by some on a sat then rest of week 1-2 a night.
TheJimi said:
grumbledoak said:
Driver101 said:
It is just the cheap end drinks that will be hit.
So it will probably most affect those already choosing between booze and food.I'd be thinking see that 2 litre bottle of cider I buy that I gulp down as it's f
king rank and only drink it for the end result. See if they are now going to increase that in line with some stronger spirits I'll buy them. I'll get fked the same. I can only see this turning people to harder stuff.
drainbrain said:
I think the min price law is to try to deter people - especially young and very young people - bingeing on supermarket volume offers as well as lo-price devil juice.
As you house most people in Glasgow, this could affect you as your tenants divert money from their rent books 
Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff