Alcohol at 50p per unit

**chaggle** · 16th March 2009, 02:21 PM

This is being proposed as a method of getting the population to cut down on drinking. Anybody think it might work? The thing that struck me is that as pub prices are already far higher than that and I only ever drink out, rarely at home, then a) It won't affect me

and b) It might have the beneficial side-effect of easing the decline in the pub trade.

I'm for it.

**Tony Williams** · 16th March 2009, 03:20 PM

I agree, those were my thoughts when I heard the news. Traditional pubs can do with all the help they can get - just as long as they don't offer "happy hours" or "all you can drink for £X".

**Croydon Bob** · 16th March 2009, 03:43 PM

I'm not against but I'm not convinced. How will this actually work? Has there ever been any other product with a legal minimum price? It seems harsh that an offy wouldn't be able to flog off surplus stock cheap but will end up having to lose perfectly good beer or risk a fine for selling at half-price. Why not just increase tax if it is such an important health issue? That's all that has been done with tobacco, no 'minimum price' for cheap fags, just loadsatax.

**ZERO** · 16th March 2009, 09:33 PM

Is there any evidence that increasing price decreases consumption?

You can brew your own beer and roll your own smokes and then you have more, cheaper.
I would think it would only pinch low income people anyway.
Seems more like revenue raising instead of health improvement.

**bindeweede** · 16th March 2009, 10:19 PM

Originally Posted by ZERO

Is there any evidence that increasing price decreases consumption?

You can brew your own beer and roll your own smokes and then you have more, cheaper.
I would think it would only pinch low income people anyway.
Seems more like revenue raising instead of health improvement.

Many years ago I visited Finland where tax on booze was extremely high, and spirits only available from the state-run Alko shops. Helsinki railway station still had loads of drunks lying around. Of course the long, dark, cold winters would be an influence.

I came across this as a way of spending less on your booze....

But in the worst case, dress like a girl and then you might get some drink paid

http://www.finlandlive.info/living-f...se-2009-a.html

**bobdezon** · 16th March 2009, 11:27 PM

People will drink, no matter the price. Drug addicts pay extortionate amounts for some drugs, and yet they always seem to get what they need. If this takes root as a precautionary measure, they will also increase the base price of anything else they think the public will accept. I am against this, as I think it is an utter waste of time. If they really want people to stop drinking, then they should give them alternatives for recreational pursuit, instead of taxing what they have become accustomed to.