[depoix]

one think tank suggests an increase in the price of alcohol to help people cut down and live a healthier life style
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/20...ol.sciencenews

now why should i as a responsible drinker who has a few pints a week ,usually on a sunday have to pay more because of some binge drinking fools that dont know when they have had enough to drink?

is this going to be another tax just for the sake of it ? will it stop people who want to party at weekends from spending a few pounds more on their night out?i doubt it,if the authorities were really interested they would drag in the drunks and hit them with very large fines and public /community work or even curfews,why should the responsible have to always suffer for the mindless few?

[Heyesey]

Baby steps, baby steps.

It's been more than half a century since the medical campaign against tobacco got underway, and we've only just got around to banning people from poisoning others around them by smoking in public. It'll be at least another 50 years before we get anywhere near as far in the campaign to wean people off their other favourite mind-altering substance.

[depoix]

if gordon brown sees pound signs on tax profits it may come a lot sooner than you think

[Dark Moomin]

I can see it happening, but its a stupid idea - all it means is that those that binge drink will spend more to do it, adding to the debt of those that can't afford it.

Education is the only way to get people to change habits like this. Along with a societal change in the que dos given to getting assively drunk every saturday night.

I've been there and done that, and it seemed fun at the time but I very quickly grew out of it. I can't see why some people see the attraction in it for so long!

[BruciesBabe]

The whole attitude to drinking in this country needs to change, drastically.

The age limit should be raised to 21 and the consequences for under age drinking and supplying alcohol to underage youngsters should be a deterent.

Alcohol shouldn't be advertised to children - alcopops, whose mad idea was that?!

I can't abide the thought of going down west st on any night, but particularly on a Friday or Saturday. It is an intimidating and dangerous place to be. 2 for 1 drinks, cheap doubles, free mixers etc etc. All of these have one purpose and one purpose only - to get people drunk. Its ludicrous.

Education is the way forward. Alcohol is a dangerous addictive drug that causes huge amounts of disruption in society and to families if consumed to excess. Take these binge / excessive drinkers to an AA meeting, show them the effects of alcohol abuse, illustate the damage that drinking is causing to their bodies, their relationships and their lives.

Children have access to alcohol from an early age, its disgraceful, the number of youngsters who hang about on street corners or in parks getting blind drunk, being loud and abusive and staggering home. It is seen as cool and 'ard', when in reality its stupid and dangerous. Where are the parents / guardians or parental figures and where is the respect and discpline?

[muddycoffee]

The greatest problem as I see it is the 99p bottle of White cider and 22p Can of Lager which are available at some UK budget Off Licenses and Supermarkets.

[Olec]

Maybe it's equally done for your health aswell as to stop drunkards, you can say your a responsible drinker, that dosent mean it's healthy for you, it'll still take some time off your life and make make you more ill in later life. I think it's gotten to the point now where the 'responsible drinkers' are in the minority and the majority of Britain as a nation wakes up on a Sunday morning with a blasting headache and a bottle on their bed side table.

[depoix]

Originally Posted by Olec

Maybe it's equally done for your health aswell as to stop drunkards, you can say your a responsible drinker, that dosent mean it's healthy for you, it'll still take some time off your life and make make you more ill in later life. I think it's gotten to the point now where the 'responsible drinkers' are in the minority and the majority of Britain as a nation wakes up on a Sunday morning with a blasting headache and a bottle on their bed side table.

i doubt the four pints i have on sundays will harm me or shorten my life,but why should i be penalised because others go over the top with their drinking habits

[sandie]

Well I feel I have to put my tenpeneth into this thread.
I have been drinking and smoking for the last 40 years and well over the recomended guidelines, never from any of my pastimes have I ever required medical treatment and before some do gooder points out the wrongs of this practice I will get the first shout in.
I have never smoked in front of my family and even today I smoke out the back door. With regards to alcohol I have never had to pay for cleaning up after myself or been refused a drink in a pub or been in a situation where the law has had to caution me.

The duty that I have paid over 40 years would have been enough to by a house let alone the NI Contribuitions for my health care.

I am fed up with the nanny state telling me what I can and cannot do.
Eggs,red meat, wine,smoking, high salt in breakfast cereal, bacon sandwiches, chips and many more are bad for us and are costing the NHS Millions. If we find a problem with baked beens we are all stuffed.

How did we all survive years ago. Are we all to clinical we dont allow our children to play and explore to learn that falling from a small tree hurts, that streams and mud with frogs is fun Icould go on all day. Just let children be children and adults make their own decisions as to live their life without the state constantly telling us what we should do.

[miniminch]

I'm in the minority who believe not enough people binge drink!!

[Minesadouble]

Originally Posted by miniminch

I'm in the minority who believe not enough people binge drink!!

Me too

[KJ_VENOM]

Come on, the anti-smoking lobby has to do something now that smoking has been all but banned of course alcohol is the next target, most people can drink responsibly but the "neo-puritans" want everything that people enjoy, to be taxed to the limit, they believe that no one should have a choice to live as they want even though they are not breaking the law and Gordon will try and get the money lost by people stopping smoking off people who enjoy the odd beer.

[Becky B]

Originally Posted by depoix

now why should i as a responsible drinker who has a few pints a week ,usually on a sunday have to pay more because of some binge drinking fools that dont know when they have had enough to drink?

i

Do you know, they were my thoughts exactly! It's like being penalised for having a little self control
I like a glass of red wine with my tea now and again, or a pint or two of a nice beer. Why should I have to pay more for that because some idiots think that drinking fizzy **** until they can't stand up is clever?

What's France like for alcohol problems such as these? Alcohol there is much cheaper - do they have an even bigger problem than us? (I think not - I'm willing to be corrected )

[okka north]

two words - NANNY STATE

[muddycoffee]

Originally Posted by Becky B

What's France like for alcohol problems such as these? Alcohol there is much cheaper - do they have an even bigger problem than us? (I think not - I'm willing to be corrected )

France has a medical system which colludes with the government to hide their hidden health problems. Their statistics cannot be trusted. The french do suffer terribly with alcohol problems, they also have a high rate of hart desease and heart attacks, but many deaths due to these causes are recorded by proud GPs as natural causes. Not wanting to show the french way of life as bad for the health.

[Becky B]

Originally Posted by muddycoffee

France has a medical system which colludes with the government to hide their hidden health problems. Their statistics cannot be trusted. The french do suffer terribly with alcohol problems, they also have a high rate of hart desease and heart attacks, but many deaths due to these causes are recorded by proud GPs as natural causes. Not wanting to show the french way of life as bad for the health.

Ah. So drinking red wine may not be so good?

[depoix]

rather than tax the sensible drinkers then it makes sense to tax certain drinks or clubs that sell them,same with corner shops,if caught selling to underage kids the shop should lose its licence,i say shop as that will prevent another family member taking over to replace a lost licence,those found to be smashed or throwing up in shop doorways, or causing wilful damage while drunk should be more heavily penalised until they get the message that being a pain doesnt work

[discodown]

I've got varying thoughts on this but why should alcohol remain legal when many other less dangerous drugs are illegal?

Also whats this guff about binge drinking? People don't binge drink, they use the only time available to them to let their hair down. The reality is binge drinking is just another name for the weekend. People tend to work hard all week and should be able to have a few drinks to relieve the pressure.

[Swan_Vesta]

I agree that alcohol should be taxed more and that's said as a drinker.

I'm certain that the relationship between anti social behaviour and cheap/easily accessible alcohol is a close one. With breweries specifically targeting the off sales market with multi buy deals and shops being able to have unprecedented opening times is it any wonder that alcohol abuse is endemic?

How can making one of the countries biggest killers less accessible be a bad thing? It fuels antisocial crime, sexual assault, death by drunken driving, domestic abuse, violent assaults, liver damage, cirrhosis ...... I'm sure you can fill in the gaps.

Everything in moderation. If it requires making what is in effect a luxury item more prohibitive to buy then I see no harm - Who knows, maybe the extra revenue could be used to treat its effects?

[happyhippy]

Originally Posted by Heyesey

Baby steps, baby steps.

It's been more than half a century since the medical campaign against tobacco got underway, and we've only just got around to banning people from poisoning others around them by smoking in public. It'll be at least another 50 years before we get anywhere near as far in the campaign to wean people off their other favourite mind-altering substance.

I'd say there's a difference here though. Responsible drinking won't cause any harm. People have been doing it since time immemorial. Smoking DOES cause harm, and is much more addictive, and more habit forming.

I know loads of people who have the odd beer, or glass of wine, but very few smokers can go without a daily fix.