Scotland plans to stop [selling] cheap alcohol
 

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

.

What do you think of it? Personally I think it's stupid and the government are just trying to avoid the real hard work when it comes to tackling binge drinking

Re: Scotland plans to stop cheap alcohol
 

Yay for a government trying to win votes with a knee-jerk reaction policy. This is why I have no respect for modern politics; lack of indepth thought when it comes to law making in response to a minority out cry against a certain issue.

Re: Scotland plans to stop cheap alcohol
 

Personally I think the cheap vodka which they are trying to stop people buying is terrible for you. It's a good idea to stop the amount of people drinking, and I'm glad they're no longer considering making the age to buy drink from a shop 21. I'd be moving if that were the case.
Personally, I only drink things I like, not drink to get drunk, so I tend to buy a nice bottle of wine, or perhaps soco or morgans, which are far more expensive anyways. This barely effects me, so I don't mind that much. If they were, however, to up the price of something I do enjoy, I'd be more upset.

Re: Scotland plans to stop cheap alcohol
 

Re: Scotland plans to stop cheap alcohol
 

Re: Scotland plans to stop cheap alcohol
 

I do believe it's only in shops. Bars are quite expensive already. So people drink less in bars than they would if they went to a party. In my personal experience anyways.

Re: Scotland plans to stop cheap alcohol
 

Re: Scotland plans to stop cheap alcohol
 

I am not really bothered. It wouldn't deter me from drinking but thats just a personal opinion. But some people it might. I wonder if the English government are going to introduce these measures anytime soon.

Re: Scotland plans to stop cheap alcohol
 

Does this mean they won't be able to give out free drinks and such to get people to come in?
Hmm. to be honest i think it's an ok idea.. but it probably won't solve much. They just seem to be avoiding the actual issue here. They should be educating people in the dangers of alcohol abuse and binge drinking, not just putting the prices up and hoping it'll make people drink less.

Re: Scotland plans to stop cheap alcohol
 

They said on the radio that they would if the measures were successful in Scotland.

I commend Jack's post though :smile. Politicians need to think about the future of the country and not their own future

There will probably be some kind of loophole allowing them to give out free drinks anyway

Re: Scotland plans to stop cheap alcohol
 

We're the guinea pigs again... Why is Scotland always first? Anyways... on topic;

I do think it's a good idea, 13-15 year olds wont be willing to try and get cheap booze if its not so cheap anymore.

Re: Scotland plans to stop cheap alcohol
 

It won't do anything to curb problem drinkers, as they'll just cut back on other expenses. All it will do is penalise ordinary drinkers. Although it will probably do a lot of good for off-licenses on the English side of the border.

Re: Scotland plans to stop cheap alcohol
 

Re: Scotland plans to stop cheap alcohol
 

One of the problems of the ageing population is that it makes attacks on the young both popular and safe, and therefore almost inevitable.

Re: Scotland plans to stop cheap alcohol
 

I think its also to do with the numbers of underage drinkers in scotland.
I mean, I was terrible when I was 15, I could go into a shop and buy a litre of vodka no questions asked. So did a lot of my friends, but getting into bars and clubs is hard, very hard. I mean when you were 15, you had almost no money, so cheap booze was great, now that they won't be able to afford it, hopefully the numbers will decrease.

Re: Scotland plans to stop cheap alcohol
 

Yeah, thats what I was meaning too. I mean a lot of the kids round my area think nothing of harrassing the nearest 18 yr old into buying alcohol. I do think it penalises us, specially if we want to buy drink for consumption at home, but I think it will have a good effect overall on the country.

Re: Scotland plans to stop cheap alcohol
 

Re: Scotland plans to stop cheap alcohol
 

I can see where this would have an impact on younger drinkers. If you can't afford something, then you don't do it. I guess if you want to drink badly enough, then you'll just have to pay the higher price. I think it is worth paying a little more to protect younger people.

Re: Scotland plans to stop cheap alcohol
 

As one of the ones who were 14/15 harrasing 18 year olds to buy us alchohol, i apoligize i now know how annoying it is now 12 year olds come up to me and ask me to buy them lambrini. ><

anyway
I just saw this on the news, and it does all seem a bit strange, it might stop a few kids binge drinking, but to be honest, where as they'd just like buy a bottle of wine or cider etc for £3ish, all they're going to do now is club together and buy something like Vodka. What i'm trying to say is that a lot of people are going to find ways around it, Like when the smoking age went up, The people who smoked underage anyway, just got their older friends to buy them cigerettes just as they did before.
I just think that they just want a quick-fix with dealing with binge drinking rather than like educating people and taking the time to think about it etc. they're just like uhhh, quick put the prices up so kids cant afford it.

Re: Scotland plans to stop cheap alcohol
 

i think for the short term it will make a difference, but over the long term it won't.
gradually people will just start buying as much as they did before once everyone adjusts to the new prices.

Besides my government in aus has increased the tax on ready to drink pre mixed alcohol, making it all pretty expensive, and i just suck it up and buy it anwyay, because it's still cheaper then drinking at a club or a bar.

everyone i know in fact just buys it anyway. or does drugs instead.
you would be amazed at how many do drugs because its cheaper then getting drunk.

The government was all proud because the reports were showing that younger kids were buying less booze now. well done, they are all smoking pot or doing E instead, because it's the same price as a 4 pack.

Re: Scotland plans to stop cheap alcohol
 

Lol its a foolish policy for a shock appeasement, which probably wont even get passed as the SNP is a minority government.
Research shows that price won't affect heavy drinkers, and their suggestions were around 40 p per unit, that puts on 2 pounds on your cheap bottle of vodka, seriously that's not that much, not even to a 15 year old kid.
It is all flash headlines. With no real effective results. Pfft
I spit on their policy :P

And if they bring to England I am migrating.