Times.
A minimum price for alcohol, advertising bans and more rigorous screening for problem drinkers must be introduced to curb the nation’s binge culture, the NHS treatment watchdog recommends today.Ok, for one thing, these "experts" probably wouldn't notice a price hike, they'll be well paid and if they are smart (like me) buy in bulk from abroad. I don't mind buying stuff from pubs, but I do object to filling the UK governments coffers via alcohol duty. They also probably don't realise that its interference in peoples lives like this that drives them to drink or smoke or take drugs. Make someone's life a misery by constant petty interference, regulations, high levels of taxation on fuel, food, booze and ciggy's. Make their mortgages high along with their council taxes, even their private rents. Make it almost impossible to get a job straight from school by dumbing down education. Force them to universities to take degrees in stuff employers don't want and make them take out loans to be paid back.
Guidance issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) says that a minimum price per unit is the most effective way of tackling excessive drinking and its impact on the NHS and society.
NICE also advises a complete ban on alcohol advertising and calls for better screening for drink problems among the general population. Patients should be asked about their drinking habits when they register with a GP, and professionals such as police and community workers should raise the issue if it is contributing to behavioural or other problems.
Scenarios include people who have a condition that may be linked to drinking, or could be made worse by it, those who have suffered a minor injury and patients who are advised about medication or sexual health.
The recommendations, compiled by a panel of public health experts, will add to pressure on politicians, who have previously shied away from a national minimum price despite calls from the Chief Medical Officer and Parliament’s health committee. While the guidance does not recommend a specific minimum price, its authors assessed the impact of a 50p per unit, which they said would tackle excessive drinking across socioeconomic groups and be of greatest benefit to the most vulnerable.
Professor Mike Kelly, NICE’s public health director, said studies suggested that it would cut consumption among moderate drinkers by 3.8 per cent and by 10.3 per cent for those drinking at hazardous levels.
A bottle of wine would cost at least £4.50, a pint of 4 per cent alcohol beer £1.14 and a 10-pack about £10. A two-litre bottle of cider would cost a minimum of about £7.50.
So yes we have a problem, but it's almost entirely of the states making and they tend to make it worse. Prohibition doesn't work and if you make the price so high that people can't afford it they'll use something else which usually means illegal drugs with no quality control and loss of life too.
My advice is leave us alone, give us an escape and we'll probably not riot and tear down the "Righteous State" carry on as you are and your days are numbered, even the Soviets realised that by keeping food and booze cheap people would put up with a great deal of shit from the state.
So, instead of trying to solve a problem by making it too expensive to do, try enforcing the law on drunk and disorderly behaviour. Have segregated drunk tanks in big towns and cities for people to dry up.
In fact (and here's a thought) try tackling those that have the problem rather than hitting those of us who don't in the pocket. Best option though is for the experts of NICE to just shut up and leave us alone.
2 annotations:
Well said, QM, spot on.
The nation's alcohol problem - and it is a problem - is * * * A C C E S S ! ! ! * * *
There are too many pubs, clubs, and bars. Selling it at supermarkets is the worst thing though.
The best solution would be to sell all intoxicants (booze, weed, ciggies) ONLY at specialist shops, which could function as members clubs, where you can only buy if you are a member: basically merging the concept of a booze shop with the concept of a pub and gents club.
This would be a very effective unbureaucratic way of filtering out the problem drinkers, and help foster a more respectful attitude to drinking and getting off your face.
It would give landlords a viable business, and return responsible adults their liberty.
Imagine a pub/gents club with smoking rooms (pot heads & tobacco smokers separate), and an adjoining restaurant/Dutch cafe and booze/head shop.
A tracksuit free zone, with low prices, no duty - just VAT on whatever your poison is.
There is a problem with the underclass toasting their dole money on cheap booze; with the working class toasting their wages at pubs & clubs; and with the middleclass toasting their salaries on wine and spirits - because it's too easy to get it; and this all has a cost to us in the NHS bill and the police and streetcleaners both directly and indirectly.
The Statists want to control everyone with a one-size-fits-all policy, because their branez can't cope with more sophisticated solutions.
The most effective way is delegating decisions down more towards those on the front line.
Just empower landlords to set up "Clubs" with booze/bong shops, bar and restaurant, and smoking lounges, and remove the supply chain from everywhere outside.
You've then handed back freedom to sensible adults to make choices for themselves; and empowered these adults to bar undesirables.
You also make the police's job a lot easier when they have a filter mechanism like membership that can be withdrawn - it'll make people behave, so that we can all get on with getting off our faces in peace, and make the streets a bit quieter, cleaner, and safer at night.
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