The end of cheap booze?

jamief · 2 Mar 2009 at 12:32

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7917824.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7918734.stm

Your thoughts?

To be honest, I fail to see how this will have any real effect - if people want to drink huge amounts, they will find a way. This might stop the people on lowest incomes ending up with liver disease by the age of 30, but from personal experience, it won't stop friends of mine with decent incomes from drinking far more than they should.

uber soldat · 2 Mar 2009 at 12:35

Drunken Scots will be outraged and will never let it happen

semi-pro waster · 2 Mar 2009 at 12:44

I can't honestly see this helping, if anything it will encourage a grey/black market in cheap alcohol which will be (obviously) less regulated and less certain of the quality of supply.

Dave M · 2 Mar 2009 at 12:50

They're talking about 40p a unit - I can only wish beer was that cheap in my local

jamief · 2 Mar 2009 at 12:51

semi-pro waster said:
I can't honestly see this helping, if anything it will encourage a grey/black market in cheap alcohol which will be (obviously) less regulated and less certain of the quality of supply.

There are signs that it worked in Finland, until they reduced tax on alcohol in (I think) 2003, which signalled a period of highly increased alcohol abuse and related issues.

Increasing the price will probably be seen as a form of prohibition by the tracksuit wearing asda goers, resulting in god knows what kind of homebrew becoming commonplace around our council estates.

jamief · 2 Mar 2009 at 12:52

Telescopi said:
They're talking about 40p a unit - I can only wish beer was that cheap in my local

In a supermarket, not in a pub.

Dave M · 2 Mar 2009 at 13:06

jamief said:
In a supermarket, not in a pub.

Even then £1.20 for a strong ale would be considered very good value.

I don't see the point though - if they price it to not effect premium drinks then it still won't be expensive enough to stop anyone drinking themselves to oblivion, even on benefits.

101predator · 2 Mar 2009 at 13:48

If this came in to practice could they just not pop over the border into England were it will still be a cheap as ever?

The Dread Pirate · 2 Mar 2009 at 13:52

101predator said:
If this came in to practice could they just not pop over the border into England were it will still be a cheap as ever?

DEAR GOD NO! THEY'D INVADE! :eek:

jamief · 2 Mar 2009 at 14:27

101predator said:
If this came in to practice could they just not pop over the border into England were it will still be a cheap as ever?

The ones that lived near the border, yes. Most of the population in Scotland doesn't live within a convenient distance to the border - certainly buying their 24 pack of tennents super wouldn't be cost effective if they had to drive 200 miles to get it.

However it does raise the question, if this came into effect in Scotland, would people start taking a transit van into England, filling it with booze and returning home? Would you find people selling booze from the back of a Mondeo down the local pub carpark?

nex20 · 2 Mar 2009 at 14:41

Increasing the price will probably be seen as a form of prohibition by the tracksuit wearing asda goers, resulting in god knows what kind of homebrew becoming commonplace around our council estates.

And student digs!

Cosimo · 2 Mar 2009 at 14:50

We’ll be getting booze trips to England from them, drunken hoards by the coach full. I bet someone will setup a booze supermarket just over the border.

Macabre · 2 Mar 2009 at 14:53

uber soldat said:
Drunken Scots will be outraged and will never let it happen

Love it how theres always a tag to state as if all Scottish are drunks or drink heavily.

Im Scottish and live in Scotland yet I don't drink alcohol at all.

jamief · 2 Mar 2009 at 14:54

simulatorman said:
We’ll be getting booze trips to England from them, drunken hoards by the coach full. I bet someone will setup a booze supermarket just over the border.

Presumably they won't be arriving drunk though, given the purpose of their trip!

Doonhamer · 2 Mar 2009 at 15:20

simulatorman said:
We’ll be getting booze trips to England from them, drunken hoards by the coach full. I bet someone will setup a booze supermarket just over the border.

You mean on the Border where the tourists normally stop. Instead it will be filled by transits selling booze out the back.

SB118 · 2 Mar 2009 at 15:40

The price of alcohol isn't a problem, it's the lack of bromide and contracptive drugs in alcopops that worry me.

a1ex2001 · 2 Mar 2009 at 15:45

It's a form of prohibition and it has never ever worked anywhere, it's too easy to make your own and in the case of Scotland it's too easy to take a transit van to Carlisle load it up with sprecial brew and be selling it round the docks in Glasgow an hour later. I only hope it doesn't have an adverse effect on the Deuchars brewery and others around Scotland.

Yamahahahahaha · 2 Mar 2009 at 15:50

The Ministry of Truth has decreed that the denziens of the aircraft carrier and defence platform USS Great Britain must immediately cease consuming alcohol.

Anyone who refuses must immediately attend an ID card detainment centre for 3 minutes of Hate against the ideals of freedom and democracy.

Comrade Premier Brown and his northern ally Alex Salmond will be watching you.

danielmp007 · 2 Mar 2009 at 15:50

The paper outlining the plans pointed out that some retailers had moved away from quantity discounts to straight price cuts such as selling 24 can packs of lager for £7 or premium vodka at £6 for a 70cl bottle.

They did what??

Where abouts was this, Thats a decent deal lol.

jamief · 2 Mar 2009 at 16:02

danielmp007 said:
They did what??

Where abouts was this, Thats a decent deal lol.

Probably Tesco!

This whole concept really annoys me - I take very good care of my health, but I'll now be penalised whenever I buy alcohol because of all the people that abuse it. Absurd!