'Should Cheap Booze Be Banned?' poll discussion

teddyco

Alcohol is a drug and should be regulated like any drug.

We need to make it harder for children to get their hands on the stuff while protecting the pubs from bankruptcy! Drunk teens are more likely to break stuff and cause trouble than kids that are sober.

Raising the drinking age to 21 is a nice idea, but it has to be backed up with alcohol being controlled and regulated.

Banning alcohol? We have already seen what happens when we ban alcohol. It will return us to the days of Al Capone and organized crime, speak-easy's, and a host of other underground criminal problems.

Alcohol should be banned in supermarkets and only sold through closely regulated liquor stores, off-licenses, and pubs.

In the USA, the drinking age is 21 in every state, and each state has the power to regulate or not the sale of beer, wine and spirits. In Utah, for example, pubs may only sell beer with a 3.2% alcohol level, and stores in many other states are prohibited from selling alcohol at certain hours. Several states also regulate alcohol through State controlled liquor stores.

The Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control gives their reasons for regulating alcohol sales in the State:

"The purpose of control is to make liquor available to those adults who choose to drink responsibly - but not to promote the sale of liquor. By keeping liquor out of the private marketplace, no economic incentives are created to maximize sales, open more liquor stores or sell to underage persons."

Utah is an extreme example, but an idea of what Britain could do to keep alcohol out of the hands of kids and folks who continually abuse the drug.

It would be interesting to compare deaths by drunk driving and crime statistics in US States that control the sale of alcohol and compare that with States that do not?

I'm_With_Stupid

Burlesque_Babe wrote: »

Our cheap booze is not cheap in comparison to other countries and they don't have a problem. It's the culture which has stemmed from the introduction of alco pops back in the mid 90s and the media image of the ladette which swiftly followed. Everything which has followed is demand led.

Interesting that all of the biggest alcopop brands are British isn't it? Except the ones by Smirnoff and Bacardi, that is.

I got all of my Christmas wine from old stock from the suppliers, for about half what it would normally cost in the supermarket.

Burlesque_Babe

certainly is IWS - I remember the first one was Two Dog and was Australian but the British manufacturers leapt on the idea like a vulture on a cow in the desert and aimed them squarely at the young female drinker who didn't necessarily like the taste of alcohol - playing on the 'fruit' taste instead.

xelaine88x

I don't agree with raising the age to 21 - it is unlikely that this would solve anything. Where I live, the people who drink to excess and cause trouble in pubs and in the town centre are of all ages, not necessarily between 18 and 21. The majority of those who cause trouble in residential areas are those aged 14/15 who aren't legally allowed to buy alcohol anyway!

Deanevans

It is a criminal offence to be drunk and disorderly. If the police and the Courts enforced that legislation then there would be less drunks on the streets. It is also an offence, or at least was, for a publican to keep a disorderly house. Again enforce the law and the problem is solved. Don't take the ball away just because some are not playing the game.

Debt_Free_Chick

Coveredinbees!!!! wrote: »

Raise the age to 21 and enforce it - no ID, no sale regardless of how old you look.

But we already have a limit of age 18 and can't make that work. Why would a higher age limit work?

Debt_Free_Chick

I'm not sure I understand the concept of "banning cheap booze".

What's cheap?

How would a ban work?

Who would regulate it?

SarahNeedle1872

Don't think it matters how expensive we make booze, that will not solve the problem of binge drinkers. If these kids wanna drink themselves silly and their parents allow, no matter how costly the booze is, they will buy it. Why penalise those of us that enjoy our drink responsibly...?

v_aleri

It's Not About The Price. It's The "education". I Dont Know Why People Has To Get Drunk Here To Have Fun. Why? Why?why?

psychodave

As many have pointed out, I don't think it's the price that's a problem, it's the culture. The culture also exists at all ages, not just youngins. I'm 22 and I'm not convinced people my age are more responsible than 18 year olds, neither would they be if you banned it up until 21. I've seen more than my fair share of 30-40 year olds act rudely to me.

It is a culture problem, but it's difficult to know how the government is meant to do anything constructively about solving that. People are notoriously good at creatively bypassing the spirit of the law. More easily enforceable legislation is a better idea than stronger legislation.

To that extent, Jennifer_Jane's comment above sounds better - make ID verification an integral part of the process, which can be separately invoked when the right is abused. I do worry what implications that has for personal freedom though. I'm uneasy enough with some measures that already exist, let alone the idea of a central database that controls when, what and whether I can drink. Great if it works perfectly, but what does?