I listened again today somewhere on some radio station about supermarkets being restricted on the pricing of its booze because of the effects its having on, as the pro restriction person said,
A) The harm its doing to society especially the young.
B) The fact that its helping put businesses such as pubs and clubs out of business.
I personally think that its bollox enforcing the supermarkets to do this. I am an occasional drinker and yes i have been known once or twice to exceed the maximum dose sensible to an adult. What is it nowadays, a thimble full?
Do you think its OK for the Supermarkets to sell it? I do. Probably one of the only things I do like them doing.
I think that alcohol causes more illness, death and social misery than all of the other legal and illegal drugs combined.
I think this fact is widely ignored and overlooked.
I doont believe in price rationing or prohibition though.
Fair point flower but then as you know, in kent one can buy a can of super strength lager for a quid in almost every corner shop.
My local one does two bottles of nasty red wine for a fiver (im not convinced it sint cut with methanol tbh)
I still think education rather than prohibition is the way forward.
problem is...if we drive up the cost of alcohol ...then it would lead more to the black market. People would be driving to the continant in vans every other day..and selling from the back of said van next day. No tax revenuie...no control...not the way forward for me.
It is well known they get people in for cheap booze to buy other products. It has been a loss leader for years now.
Supermarkets are very very strict on who they sell it too. Most will not sell it to under 25's.
I do not think the normal responsible person should be penalised by the minority of irresponsible people, who get bladdered and piss up peoples cars.
We all have a responsibility to drink sensibly, and the few that do not, why the heck should I have to pay full price for something that is cheaper now, just to satisfy whatever idiot dreamed this rubbish up.
It is like when people in power say they are going to put the price of drink up by x ammount per unit,to stop bad drinking habits. What 30p on a bottle of spirits is really going to make a difference? Rubbish, it is just another underhanded way to raise more money, using some feable excuse to do it.
I personally dont drink cos I just cant handle the hangovers in the morning.
Being the mom to a 21 year old from an age of 12 I have always let him have a bottle of beer with a meal at weekends or if we were watching a film on a friday or saturday night.
Recently he joined the army and passed out 2 months ago, but is still doing exams every week and he's told me out of 12 people only himself and one other person stays in in the evenings and studies for the exams, while everyone else goes out on the piss.
Also turns out the other lads parents also let him drink from an early age and both of them cant really see the point of getting pissed every night, and wasting their money.
it is an interesting topic especially with what is being proposed in scotland at the moment with minimum pricing.....
they are proposing a 40p-50p per unit charge on alcohol.. and in effect doesn't really change the price
remember those are the minimum, unless scotland is radically cheaper than anywhere else I don't see a problem, and if it then leads to less alcohol related probles for hospitals then I would be fully behind it..
To be honest it doesn't really affect my directly. No-one I know drinks to excess. I have a little but I can also brew my own beer and make my own wine. They can charge what they like. If they go over my limit I'll make more of my own.
What we do need is a strong response to unacceptable behaviour. Including 'public drunkeness', and any action that causes harm to others by being out of control.
I hate the term 'social engineering' so let's call is people pressure instead - but people's attitudes and opinions can influence what other people do. Used correctly it's pretty powerful tool. Look at drink driving - without people pressure, more people would still do it I think.
here is my 2p's worth
Supermarkets sell at a loss to get people in - they are not trying to get people drunk there after making money (interesting point flower about the unhealthy stuff)
Cheap booze does not lead to drunkeness - trouble spots arnt near supermarkets there near clubs -
On the continent booze is very much cheaper (strength of the Euro excepted ) - they dont have the problem.
Our problem is a cultural one - we (like the americans) seem to be children when it comes to getting drunk.
Soul girl and geordiecpl have it exactly - if we are brought up understanding drinking responsably then the eventual adult is less prone to binge drinking (as per the continent)
As i recall when younger - (not that long ago i hasten to add ! ) you used to be able to have beer or wine with a meal in a pub at 16 - does that still apply?
should this be encouraged ?
Out of change so will shut up !
no, it shouldn't be cheap.
It wasn't when I was a kid, I don't see why the youth of today should have all the benefits
lp
they didnt have booze when i was a kid,, they had vimto n crisps on the step of the outdoor while me dad was inside having some special meeting with his mates ...
i threw up on my sister one night too much vimto i reckon
do you remember the little packets of cheese with the crackers and pickled onion..!
sitting outside a pub with your bros or sis crisps n a drink o pop blimey takes me back that does - If i did that to my kids they'd phone childline for neglect that or someone would Sigh Lost ya an old bastid aint ya :whistful-sigh:
but this booze thing...its all about self control innit.
nobody forces us to buy it, and if we buy it nobody forces us to drink massive amounts in one session.
price isnt the issue.
like the price of ciggies, they can keep putting the price up, but someone who wants them will pay whatever the cost.
SELF CONTROL!
jesus the conservative club would of been burnt down if we had had one near our village.. it was just a piss stained step for me in those days .. funny thing is ive been found several times since in similar locations over the last 25 years
and lucky bags // what about lucky bags!
). 
