Scotland plans to stop cheap alcohol

[Hyper Sonic]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7917824.stm

Measures to tackle alcohol abuse by stopping cut-price offers have been outlined by the Scottish Government.

It has proposed a range of measures including the radical step of a minimum price per unit. It would be the first country in Europe to take the step.

The minority government said it also plans to ban discount deals on alcohol

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What do you think of it? Personally I think it's stupid and the government are just trying to avoid the real hard work when it comes to tackling binge drinking

[Jack]

Yay for a government trying to win votes with a knee-jerk reaction policy. This is why I have no respect for modern politics; lack of indepth thought when it comes to law making in response to a minority out cry against a certain issue.

[Gaia]

Personally I think the cheap vodka which they are trying to stop people buying is terrible for you. It's a good idea to stop the amount of people drinking, and I'm glad they're no longer considering making the age to buy drink from a shop 21. I'd be moving if that were the case.
Personally, I only drink things I like, not drink to get drunk, so I tend to buy a nice bottle of wine, or perhaps soco or morgans, which are far more expensive anyways. This barely effects me, so I don't mind that much. If they were, however, to up the price of something I do enjoy, I'd be more upset.

[Hyper Sonic]

Originally Posted by ghostlyheartbeat

Personally I think the cheap vodka which they are trying to stop people buying is terrible for you. It's a good idea to stop the amount of people drinking, and I'm glad they're no longer considering making the age to buy drink from a shop 21. I'd be moving if that were the case.
Personally, I only drink things I like, not drink to get drunk, so I tend to buy a nice bottle of wine, or perhaps soco or morgans, which are far more expensive anyways. This barely effects me, so I don't mind that much. If they were, however, to up the price of something I do enjoy, I'd be more upset.

They plan to set a minimum cost per unit which would make cheap vodka far less cheap and would probably cause everything to rise so the companies can make a tidy profit on the back of the new laws as was done when the Euro was introduced on the continent

[losing touch.]

Is this just in shops or in pubs/clubs/bars as well?

[Gaia]

I do believe it's only in shops. Bars are quite expensive already. So people drink less in bars than they would if they went to a party. In my personal experience anyways.

[Hyper Sonic]

A minimum price per unit would apply everywhere but bars are expensive already so the end-user would not notice a difference

[.Sarah.]

I am not really bothered. It wouldn't deter me from drinking but thats just a personal opinion. But some people it might. I wonder if the English government are going to introduce these measures anytime soon.

[losing touch.]

Does this mean they won't be able to give out free drinks and such to get people to come in?
Hmm. to be honest i think it's an ok idea.. but it probably won't solve much. They just seem to be avoiding the actual issue here. They should be educating people in the dangers of alcohol abuse and binge drinking, not just putting the prices up and hoping it'll make people drink less.

[Hyper Sonic]

Originally Posted by .Sarah.

I am not really bothered. It wouldn't deter me from drinking but thats just a personal opinion. But some people it might. I wonder if the English government are going to introduce these measures anytime soon.

They said on the radio that they would if the measures were successful in Scotland.

I commend Jack's post though . Politicians need to think about the future of the country and not their own future

Originally Posted by xxEllexx

Does this mean they won't be able to give out free drinks and such to get people to come in?
Hmm. to be honest i think it's an ok idea.. but it probably won't solve much. They just seem to be avoiding the actual issue here. They should be educating people in the dangers of alcohol abuse and binge drinking, not just putting the prices up and hoping it'll make people drink less.

There will probably be some kind of loophole allowing them to give out free drinks anyway

[Lozzaa]

We're the guinea pigs again... Why is Scotland always first? Anyways... on topic;

I do think it's a good idea, 13-15 year olds wont be willing to try and get cheap booze if its not so cheap anymore.

[Acheron]

It won't do anything to curb problem drinkers, as they'll just cut back on other expenses. All it will do is penalise ordinary drinkers. Although it will probably do a lot of good for off-licenses on the English side of the border.

[Hyper Sonic]

It's penalising young drinkers in a case of thinly veiled ageism.

It is based on a terrible assumption - that nobody under 25 can drink sensibly at home

[Acheron]

Originally Posted by Hyper Sonic

It's penalising young drinkers in a case of thinly veiled ageism.

It is based on a terrible assumption - that nobody under 25 can drink sensibly at home

One of the problems of the ageing population is that it makes attacks on the young both popular and safe, and therefore almost inevitable.

[Gaia]

I think its also to do with the numbers of underage drinkers in scotland.
I mean, I was terrible when I was 15, I could go into a shop and buy a litre of vodka no questions asked. So did a lot of my friends, but getting into bars and clubs is hard, very hard. I mean when you were 15, you had almost no money, so cheap booze was great, now that they won't be able to afford it, hopefully the numbers will decrease.

[Lozzaa]

Originally Posted by ghostlyheartbeat

I think its also to do with the numbers of underage drinkers in scotland.
I mean, I was terrible when I was 15, I could go into a shop and buy a litre of vodka no questions asked. So did a lot of my friends, but getting into bars and clubs is hard, very hard. I mean when you were 15, you had almost no money, so cheap booze was great, now that they won't be able to afford it, hopefully the numbers will decrease.

Yeah, thats what I was meaning too. I mean a lot of the kids round my area think nothing of harrassing the nearest 18 yr old into buying alcohol. I do think it penalises us, specially if we want to buy drink for consumption at home, but I think it will have a good effect overall on the country.

[Power Cosmic]

Hm..yeah, I seen this.
I guess I'm just happy that I don't drink that much anymore due to my meds (I get drunk VERY quickly)..
I have to agree, back in Renfrew, I knew people who could buy alcohol at 13-14...

I agree with Jack really, he's said it all.
Its just idiocy...

[udontno]

I can see where this would have an impact on younger drinkers. If you can't afford something, then you don't do it. I guess if you want to drink badly enough, then you'll just have to pay the higher price. I think it is worth paying a little more to protect younger people.

[lauren_160]

As one of the ones who were 14/15 harrasing 18 year olds to buy us alchohol, i apoligize i now know how annoying it is now 12 year olds come up to me and ask me to buy them lambrini. ><

anyway
I just saw this on the news, and it does all seem a bit strange, it might stop a few kids binge drinking, but to be honest, where as they'd just like buy a bottle of wine or cider etc for £3ish, all they're going to do now is club together and buy something like Vodka. What i'm trying to say is that a lot of people are going to find ways around it, Like when the smoking age went up, The people who smoked underage anyway, just got their older friends to buy them cigerettes just as they did before.
I just think that they just want a quick-fix with dealing with binge drinking rather than like educating people and taking the time to think about it etc. they're just like uhhh, quick put the prices up so kids cant afford it.

[delilah]

i think for the short term it will make a difference, but over the long term it won't.
gradually people will just start buying as much as they did before once everyone adjusts to the new prices.

Besides my government in aus has increased the tax on ready to drink pre mixed alcohol, making it all pretty expensive, and i just suck it up and buy it anwyay, because it's still cheaper then drinking at a club or a bar.

everyone i know in fact just buys it anyway. or does drugs instead.
you would be amazed at how many do drugs because its cheaper then getting drunk.

The government was all proud because the reports were showing that younger kids were buying less booze now. well done, they are all smoking pot or doing E instead, because it's the same price as a 4 pack.

[Guardian_Angel]

Lol its a foolish policy for a shock appeasement, which probably wont even get passed as the SNP is a minority government.
Research shows that price won't affect heavy drinkers, and their suggestions were around 40 p per unit, that puts on 2 pounds on your cheap bottle of vodka, seriously that's not that much, not even to a 15 year old kid.
It is all flash headlines. With no real effective results. Pfft
I spit on their policy :P

And if they bring to England I am migrating.