Scots to bring in minimum price booze

[crankedup]

Supreme court find in favour of the Scottish Government and it is now to bring into law the minimum price unit of alcohol.
Announcement on price is awaited however it is generally understood that most but the very cheapest of alcohols will be unaffected at introduction. Thin end of wedge maybe?
This opens the door for our Government to follow the Scots and then perhaps we will see rises in alcohol prices every budget, just like the old days.
Only the lowest income individuals will be affected and this will do nothing to arrest the increase in alcohol abuse (or enjoyment)

[Jockman]

So long as the price of batter remains unaffected I don't foresee any large scale social unrest.

[crankedup]

As in fish’n chips.
Can’t beat Northern variety still fried in proper fat.
As for booze price, I agree it will not make a jot of difference to drinking habits wherever one happens to live in the UK. What it could do is drive those dependant on booze to forgo other essentials to feed the habit perhaps.
Just another case of a nannying Government who pretends to be doing the right thing for Society.?

[anonymous-user]

I have a friend who lives in a poor area of Glasgow. The local culture is , in her words, soaked in booze, and that has consequences in terms of health, violence, other crime and so on. I am not generally in favour of top down social engineering, but there may be a case for it here.

[FourWheelDrift]

But if that leads to less sales Buckfast Abbey might have to lay off some monks.

[anonymous-user]

Oh yes, another example of Scotland leading the world, according to Sturgeon........

[TheJimi]

Won't make a blind bit of difference, imo.

Just means that those desperate enough for alcohol who are priced out by the changes will be either driven to more desperate measures to get their hands on it, or will revert to some other form of high.

[TheJimi]

FourWheelDrift said:

But if that leads to less sales Buckfast Abbey might have to lay off some monks.

I'm not even sure Buckfast will be affected; it's already more expensive than some ordinary wines.

[anonymous-user]

FourWheelDrift said:

But if that leads to less sales Buckfast Abbey might have to lay off some monks.

FEWER sales, Goddammit! Standards, man, standards!

[kiethton]

Surely when the levy reaches a point (it will be increased mercilessly I bet) anybody on the border or within x miles will just travel down to England, buy it and head back up north surely.

At least it keeps more tax/employment in England and may even result in a few booze cash and carry's on the border!

[55palfers]

...they'll be runnin' moonshine over the border from Carlisle soon

[moanthebairns]

Breadvan72 said:

I have a friend who lives in a poor area of Glasgow. The local culture is , in her words, soaked in booze, and that has consequences in terms of health, violence, other crime and so on. I am not generally in favour of top down social engineering, but there may be a case for it here.

What you mean like any area of high unemployment in the UK.

It will make fk all difference to levels of alcohol consumption. All it will stop is dependants spending money they would elsewhere on their own well being or families.

I cannot stand that Sturgeon, I am not a heavy drinker, I would struggle to drink a weeks allowance in a month. But I object to the government telling me I must now pay more due to them coming up with a plan they think will help a small few.

I assume the money will now be spent on the underprivileged kids in the area and give them funding for sports and after school activities every day of the week. Whilst increasing mental health facilities for dependants.

[Jockman]

REALIST123 said:

Oh yes, another example of Scotland leading the world, according to Sturgeon........

Indeed.

I'm not sure that being FM of a nation that feels the need to cushion its people from alcohol is much to brag about.

[Cold]

Where's the extra revenue going? Has it been ringfenced for some sort of rehab programme or does it just go into the pot?

[TheJimi]

Breadvan72 said:

I have a friend who lives in a poor area of Glasgow. The local culture is , in her words, soaked in booze, and that has consequences in terms of health, violence, other crime and so on. I am not generally in favour of top down social engineering, but there may be a case for it here.

Glasgow and the surrounding area already has some of Europe’s most deprived communities, which incidentally also has serious crime, alcohol and drug addiction issues.

So you’ve already got people with nary a ha’penny to rub together, and there exists a drug and alcohol problem - do they *really* think implementing a minimum pricing strategy is going to do anything, realistically?

Scotland, and in particular, Glasgow, has a relationship with alcohol that transcends any kind of cost issue. Education is the key here, not half arsed knee jerk policies.

[Boydie88]

Cold said:

Where's the extra revenue going? Has it been ringfenced for some sort of rehab programme or does it just go into the pot?

More money to seek to prosecute jokes on the internet.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/co...

[drainbrain]

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/weird-news/watch...

[paulrockliffe]

As a minimum price, rather than a tax I guess it goes to the capitalist pig dogs that make the booze.

[Ali G]

Righto, that'll work.

Meths with a lighter fuel chaser, perhaps a spot of Eau de posh for classy nights oot.

[technodup]

REALIST123 said:

Oh yes, another example of Scotland leading the world, according to Sturgeon........

Thankfully she's not allowed to do anything significant.