Time to end the supermarket 'happy hour'?

Alcohol is the most destructive drug in the world. Together with nicotine, it's the mose addictive drug and it kills more people than cocaine, heroin and crack combined, every year!

Those are the facts. Yet supermarkets continue to use beer, larger and cider as loss leaders, sometimes selling them for less than 50p a bottle!

In a world where, according to most health officials, we can't be trusted to look after ourselves, is it about time alcohol was taxed on a par with cigarettes, sold with health warnings on the bottles and hidden under the counters out of sight??

If by this your aim is to see a massive increase in bootlegging and smuggling then yes, it's a good idea.

jb

I don't think increasing the price would have much effect, I do wonder if it isn't time the supermarkets put their money and clout behind healthier living. They seem to encourage over indulgence while claiming to want to help. Maybe if they made the more reasonable alcohol more attractive while pushing the price up on the stronger stuff that would help or if they stopped rewarding us when we buy extra. Buy one get one free or multibuy offers only on lower percentage alcohol and healthy food.

I doubt it will ever happen the harsh reality is they just want to make profit and all the rest is just marketing to increase sales and our trust in them.

If by this your aim is to see a massive increase in bootlegging and smuggling then yes, it's a good idea.

 

jb

Majority of people seem to think it's a good idea to do this with tobacco though.

Alcohol is the most destructive drug in the world. Together with nicotine, it's the mose addictive drug and it kills more people than cocaine, heroin and crack combined, every year!

 

Those are the facts. Yet supermarkets continue to use beer, larger and cider as loss leaders, sometimes selling them for less than 50p a bottle!

 

In a world where, according to most health officials, we can't be trusted to look after ourselves, is it about time alcohol was taxed on a par with cigarettes, sold with health warnings on the bottles and hidden under the counters out of sight??

Oh dear! We can't be trusted to look after ourselves? Sounds like you'd prefer a totalitarian nanny state where we can only buy what the government 'deems' to be healthy stuff. My god that would be scary.

I'd rather make decisions for myself!

Oh dear! We can't be trusted to look after ourselves? Sounds like you'd prefer a totalitarian nanny state where we can only buy what the government 'deems' to be healthy stuff. My god that would be scary.

 

I'd rather make decisions for myself!

Well, according to the nanny state, your in the minority if you think you can look after yourself and make your own decisions about what you put into your body.

Most of us need to be constantly reminded that cigarettes and alcohol and bad for us.

Well, according to the nanny state, your in the minority if you think you can look after yourself and make your own decisions about what you put into your body.

 

Most of us need to be constantly reminded that cigarettes and alcohol and bad for us.

yes those things probably are. So is sugar, and too much coffee or tea. Cream cakes, biscuits, crisps, etc etc.....and yes too much of any of those things and they'll kill you too!

On the news virtually daily you hear that some expert or other says that 'picking your nose' or some such ridiculous notion can increase the chances of this that or the other (ok, not picking your nose...but you know what I mean )

yes those things probably are. So is sugar, and too much coffee or tea. Cream cakes, biscuits, crisps, etc etc.....and yes too much of any of those things and they'll kill you too!

 

On the news virtually daily you hear that some expert or other says that 'picking your nose' or some such ridiculous notion can increase the chances of this that or the other (ok, not picking your nose...but you know what I mean )

Yep, I know exactly what You mean!

So what's the answer? Should we put higher taxes on all the above listed and hide them under the counter, out if sight?

Majority of people seem to think it's a good idea to do this with tobacco though.

That might be due to alcohol in moderation not being harmful, indeed some claim beneficial. Where as smoking in any degree is harmful and perhaps more significantly harmful to other people.

Yep, I know exactly what You mean!

 

So what's the answer? Should we put higher taxes on all the above listed and hide them under the counter, out if sight?

Government approved food parcels that we fetch once a week containing only appropriate goods?

Taxing doesn't work, all it does is feed the black market, and then there's the question of where does that taxation go? Into the usual black hole of government coffers.

Alcohol is the most destructive drug in the world. Together with nicotine, it's the mose addictive drug and it kills more people than cocaine, heroin and crack combined, every year!

 

Those are the facts. Yet supermarkets continue to use beer, larger and cider as loss leaders, sometimes selling them for less than 50p a bottle!

 

In a world where, according to most health officials, we can't be trusted to look after ourselves, is it about time alcohol was taxed on a par with cigarettes, sold with health warnings on the bottles and hidden under the counters out of sight??

No, it would be much better to just gas the alco's so the responsible drinkers (like me ) can carry on buying the cheap booze to drink moderately, thanks very much.

That might be due to alcohol in moderation not being harmful, indeed some claim beneficial. Where as smoking in any degree is harmful and perhaps more significantly harmful to other people.

I agree with the first bit. The rest of your post, you can't prove to be true. Smoking dose have some health benefits. It's been proven to reduce the risk of neural diseases such as parkingsons.

And as for passive smoking, if you're not in an enclosed space, it's not harmful.