'Should Cheap Booze Be Banned?' poll discussion

BillScarab

I agree it's cultural rather than anything to do with the price. I don't think it's particularly a recent thing either. There's a very long tradition of drinking to excess in Britain. When I was young we weren't 'binge drinkers' we were 'lager louts'.

The licensing laws were only brought in during the First World War to try and stop factory workers turning up at work drunk so it was obviously a problem then.

The gin Act of 1736 tried to control the sale of cheap Gin to prevent drunkeness, guess what it failed.

Stopping cheap booze won't make a jot of difference in my opinion.

Stewart_Durham

Two things to remember in this life. (1) We are all sheep (2) The Govenment is the shepherd.
Smoking was encouraged for years as it was a good earner in tax, cheap tobacco came in from France, HMG saw their revenues fall, now it was a bad thing and they were going to tax us into cutting back.
While doing so they allowed 24 hour drinking to commence (So that we could all get a nice chilled glass of wine on the way home from the theatre at 2am,who does this in the real world ?) now it is out of control and once more taxation is the cure.
They are now allowing a multitude of gambling sites to be created thereby providing the next revenue stream. Baa!! Baa!

Hooda_Thunkit

Not so long ago, it was "socially acceptable" to drink and drive, until some very clever campaigns changed the public attitude toward that practice. Now drink-drivers are seen a social pariahs who are to be shunned.

The same sort of campaigns and change of attitude is required toward binge drinking; it is the curse of todays society, costs the country millions in the problems it causes, and if not stopped will eventually be the ruin of the great british way of life.

Bring on the folks who did the DD campaigns, and let them loose on this problem.

bap98189

Hooda_Thunkit wrote: »

Not so long ago, it was "socially acceptable" to drink and drive, until some very clever campaigns changed the public attitude toward that practice.

Rubbish. It was the introduction of a driving ban that stopped people doing it.

Idiophreak

I can't believe *anyone* really thinks that increasing the price of booze will fix anything...

How about:

* Closing down pubs that sell to underage
* Closing down pubs that continue to serve those who're obviously drunk
* Giving those found drunk and disorderly a few nights in the slammer and a criminal record.
* No ID - No booze...however old you are - remove the stigma associated with being ID'd

Of course, there's a problem with all of these - they take more effort from the government and don't increase revenue. Increasing prices? Increased revenue, no effort, no effect.

iamgetting_annoyed

No cheap boose should not be banned as it is not fair on the majority who drink it responsibly.

I think that the supermarkets should be allowed to sell cut price alcohol but they should set a minimum spend figure before you can buy alcoholic drinks.

For example if the supermarkets said that you had to spend at least £20.00 on groceries in order to buy alcohol the majority of people would be unaffected as they would buy the drink alonside their weekly shop. However, this would make it much more difficult for young people to get hold of cheap drink.

nomoneytoday

Why should the majority suffer because of the idiotic few?

There are already laws in place to stop most of this feral behaviour, maybe the laws should be enforced, instead of piling on new laws....?

Sulis

I spend a lot of time in Italy, where wine is really cheap. I have never seen anyone drunk. The price is not the problem.
Beware, increasing prices will be yet another way for the government to increase taxes for itself, whilst pretending it is for the common good.

Idiophreak

Sulis wrote: »

Beware, increasing prices will be yet another way for the government to increase taxes for itself, whilst pretending it is for the common good.

Fortunately, my good friend Gordon tells me tax fixes *everything*!

captainjoe1979

It seems to me that countries with high alcohol prices tend to have heavy drinking habits take Sweden its not worth having a drink unless you are going to get off your face!!
Gordon stop trying to nanny people into good habits, maybe spend more money on education instead.
:beer: