Minimum alcohol pricing is nigh

squawker

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

Can't tell if you're taking the piss or not If this is an actual technique then wouldn't an electric eggbeater (or even a manual winch-whisk) work as well?

no not taking the piss at all, I use something like this with a cordless drill (my paddle is wooden though)



it works a treat to stir the wort with minimum effort

think an egg beaters whisks would be way to short though, but it might be worth a shot

Capt'n Midnight

LostinBlanch wrote: »

There has also been a huge rise in the use of street meds since the minimum unit pricing was introduced. Apparently the rise is caused by people who were previously drinkers who couldn't afford the same amount of drink they would before, so pushers have been introducing them to these instead.

As this is NOT an increase in excise there will be no extra money for the HSE.


Meanwhile a £2 flagon of cider in England costs £5 in Scotland under minimum pricing.

In Middlesbrough, a bag of heroin can cost as little as £5.

patrickbrophy18

Simply put, I don’t think there should be any more intervention by the government to super markets or off-licenses. The fact that the Vintners Federation of Ireland exists at all is laughable. They have clearly colluded with the government for years to interfere with supermarket and off-license sales which is fraudulent.

Price fixing is a scam plain and simple. People who choose to operate pubs or nightclubs are expected to be able to do so without any help from the government.

They should also be able to adapt to customer expectations when they experience a fall in sales such as price reduction and not collude with the government to inflate the prices for the off trade. Doing so is a sign of weakness and greed and is deplorable.

Having said all of that, throughout the years, the government have been crippling the pub and nightclub industries by increasing restrictions of opening hours while also charging them incrementally more for their liquor trading licenses and also lowering the drink driving limit to virtually zero.

So, naturally enough people will choose to drink at home which is less hassle and is often more pleasant than waiting to be served. Not to mention being quieter too.

AND NOW THIS…………!

The government can pedal the health spin all they want. However, the majority of disorderly offences happen outside after people have been to the pub/nightclub. The bulk of us drinkers are responsible about it. So, why should we be literally paying for the mistakes of the minority?

Hotblack Desiato

Not sure about the "without any help from the government" angle though, afaik a publican can object to the transfer of a licence into their area on the basis of "too much competition"

How f'ked up is that.

Back before transfer of licences into Dublin was allowed, these guys were like the taxi drivers of old - inheritors of a government licence to print money - and they still have that sense of entitlement.

If the publicans had any backbone they'd be looking for 24/7* licensing, instead they're trying to cripple the off trade, you can bet your ass they'll be looking to outlaw home brewing next.


* Of course 24/7 licensing doesn't mean any premises can or will open 24/7, it just means they can pick and choose their opening hours, subject to planning and noise etc.

Suckit

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/cider-is-cheaper-than-milk-aai-call-for-minimum-unit-pricing-for-alcohol-941121.html

Alcohol Action Ireland are calling on the Government to introduce minimum unit pricing for alcohol as a matter of urgency.

The charity carried out its annual price review and found that 1 litre of cider can cost as little as 88 cent, which is cheaper than a litre of milk in most places.

A woman in Ireland can reach her alcohol quota of 11 units a week for less than €5.

A man can drink his recommended guideline of 17 standard drinks for €7.50

Upping the prices won't 'fix' anything. At the moment AAI don't have any real solid opposition.
Upping the prices will just encourage more and more people to brew, craft or distill at home. Which imho is a much worse case scenario.
That, and encourage people to take advantage of the EU prices.
If they think there is a problem now, wait until they see the problem when people have plenty of cases of wine, spirits and/or beer in their house.

I'm guessing that's some weak cider at that price. :rolleyes:

Thelonious Monk

In fairness, why wouldn't the Gov introduce MUP? It helps their publican friends and we will just accept it and carry on as usual, with a little less money in our pockets.

Leroy42

Suckit wrote: »

...and encourage people to take advantage of the EU prices.
If they think there is a problem now, wait until they see the problem when people have plenty of cases of wine, spirits and/or beer in their house.

But isn't that saying that people will bulk buy to take advantage of cheaper prices and hen consume more because of availability?

Garibaldi?

I know several people who make their own wine and it's delicious.

Suckit

Leroy42 wrote: »

But isn't that saying that people will bulk buy to take advantage of cheaper prices and hen consume more because of availability?

I am saying that people will drink no matter what.
Prohibition proved that (not that it needed proving).
Putting in a minimum price is not going to solve anything. It will achieve nothing.
If people see a ferry trip to France or wherever and stocking up as a cheaper alternative to buying it in Ireland, then they will likely do that.
Many already make their own wine, beer or spirits at home, putting a minimum price in will likely drive more to do the same.



Same as driving the price of anything up.

Thelonious Monk

I would think if lots of people started homebrewing (I do some myself) then the Gov would try and hit that somehow too

mikemac2

This thread still going I see

When this was in the early stages I remember Fianna Fail Senator Terry Leydon who hails from Roscommon called for a levy on alcohol and the money would ring fenced for suicide prevention. Well that is an issue for Ireland and I guess there is a link between the two. Ok might possibly be an idea worth talking about

But on further questioning the levy was only for off licence sales, definitely not for publicans and after a big more digging the bould Terry is a publican himself

I understand groups lobbying for themselves, sure the farmers and nurses and hell the Law Society and others do it and more power to them but to drag in sucide prevention was a bit classless

Mr. teddywinkles

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

can you come back and tell us who this pro-alcohol lobby is?

The people that's getting gouged with this crap

Capt'n Midnight

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

In fairness, why wouldn't the Gov introduce MUP? It helps their publican friends and we will just accept it and carry on as usual, with a little less money in our pockets.

Makes more sense than increasing excise duty because doing that would provide more money for the health services. :rolleyes:

hatrickpatrick

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

I would think if lots of people started homebrewing (I do some myself) then the Gov would try and hit that somehow too

Would be very difficult though, the process is so incredibly simple. I mean, they could ban the sale of malt extract and pre-prepared ingredients so that all-grain brewing (more complicated and expensive to get started as a beginner) would be the only option, but that's strictly talking about beer - all you need to make cider is literally yeast and apples, if you want to make nice cider you need some fancier enzymes and ingredients but if you're happy to drink the most basic cider imaginable just to get drunk (which given how many people are happy to drink Tesco vodka, I'm sure is a sizeable population ) it would be incredibly easy to do it and unless the government started banning the sale of apples in quantities bigger than X, I don't see how they could prevent it.

It would be very amusing if they introduced such a limit though, it'd be like when they limited the number of tablets in a box of Sudafed because there were so many wannabe Walter Whites cropping up It would obviously be totally unworkable, but the likes of the Healy Raes are probably mad enough to suggest it

EDIT: During prohibition in the US, people used to sell "grape bricks" which were basically crushed grapes in a box and a packet of yeast. They used to have a "warning" label which said "WARNING: Do not mix the contents of this box in 10 litres of boiling water, leave to cool, add the yeast, and leave to sit for 7-10 days. An illegal alcoholic beverage may inadvertently be created!"

elperello

Mr Harris has plans for us


https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/alcohol-crackdown-cheap-drink-deals-to-take-a-hit-and-shoppers-wont-get-loyalty-points-38496566.html

The Late Late Show

Saw the front page of the Independent. It's commander Simon Harris now is it?!? Since when did the Irish people ask for this oppressive cr@p? Since when was the name of our Republic changed from Ireland to Gilead? Looks like Harris is reading too much Margaret Atwood novels! More in Harris' line would be to tackle the adverse affects of insurance hikes and stress on health and leave people alone WRT the only comfort they may have after a week of stress: a few drinks. Harris' extremism is dangerous and don't think it will just stop at this if he gets away with it.

faceman

elperello wrote: »

Mr Harris has plans for us


https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/alcohol-crackdown-cheap-drink-deals-to-take-a-hit-and-shoppers-wont-get-loyalty-points-38496566.html

This is mad Ted. Does that mean that O’Brien’s loyalty card scheme will be scrapped?

elperello

elperello wrote: »

Mr Harris has plans for us


https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/alcohol-crackdown-cheap-drink-deals-to-take-a-hit-and-shoppers-wont-get-loyalty-points-38496566.html

Well now that he has finally fixed the HSE, it makes sense he should tackle a smaller, lesser problem.


Oh wait.

Odyssey 2005

1850 715 815

Odyssey 2005

Odyssey 2005 wrote: »

1850 715 815

Better wait until Joe is back from his holliers.

Heavy Beast

faceman wrote: »

This is mad Ted. Does that mean that O’Brien’s loyalty card scheme will be scrapped?

Nonsense. That’s where I get my cheap jars from ! Hhahhaaaahhaha alright !

The Late Late Show

Deleted User wrote: »

Well now that he has finally fixed the HSE, it makes sense he should tackle a smaller, lesser problem.


Oh wait.

“​Now I'm awake to the world. I was asleep before. That's how we let it happen. When they slaughtered Congress, we didn't wake up. When they blamed terrorists and suspended the constitution, we didn't wake up then, either. Nothing changes instantaneously. In a gradually heating bathtub, you'd be boiled to death before you knew it.”

― Margaret Atwood

It is time the people tell Harris this policy is not welcome. Down with fascism masquerading as health. The Dail has a bar in it just like Gilead had Jezebels. One law for them, another for us. Harris drinks (and has no adverse health affects on him!) and Harris knows full well the impact of stress and insurance hikes on health. It is time for Harris to get real and the Irish people to wake up before we have Gilead health style imposed on us.

The Late Late Show

elperello wrote: »

Mr Harris has plans for us


https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/alcohol-crackdown-cheap-drink-deals-to-take-a-hit-and-shoppers-wont-get-loyalty-points-38496566.html

The Irish people should show too they have plans for him. He is an elected official and the people in his area should tell him to end this repressive nonsense or else they won't vote for him.

The Late Late Show

The Late Late Show wrote: »

“​Now I'm awake to the world. I was asleep before. That's how we let it happen. When they slaughtered Congress, we didn't wake up. When they blamed terrorists and suspended the constitution, we didn't wake up then, either. Nothing changes instantaneously. In a gradually heating bathtub, you'd be boiled to death before you knew it.”

― Margaret Atwood

It is time the people tell Harris this policy is not welcome. Down with fascism masquerading as health. The Dail has a bar in it just like Gilead had Jezebels. One law for them, another for us. Harris drinks (and has no adverse health affects on him!) and Harris knows full well the impact of stress and insurance hikes on health. It is time for Harris to get real and the Irish people to wake up before we have Gilead health style imposed on us.

The representative from the supermarket group actually said something valid: facing into Brexit, especially a hard Brexit, is now really a time to be sending shoppers up north, to holyhead for a day trip or to France for a booze cruise?


Short answer is no. As well as stocking up on booze in Asda in Derry, you know what, I'll do my weekly shop as well. British prices always seem less than ours.



The original plan was to bring in minimum unit pricing in at the same time as Northern Ireland so there wouldn't be an exodus up north. Britain is in chaos, Stormont hasnt sat in a long time, there'll be no legislation passed there any time soon. Like a lot of things our(and many other) governments do, this hasn't been thought out and most likely will make things worse.

punisher5112

Anyone got his email?

If they really want to change things then they really need to look at themselves, the waste in HSE, government funding of projects etc....

If people have a drink problem or any issues like mental health, drug abuse and so on then get them the help they need.....

If one is on the scratch then they shouldn't be able to purchase alcohol or spend it all in the pub or bookies....

This fool is just basically adding another stealth tax.....

I like a few beers after a hard week working but it's actually depressing seen those that don't sometimes actually having a much easier life and nothing to worry about as they're handed anything and everything they need.

Thelonious Monk

Sure why wouldn't they do this? They're helping their friends in pubs. No one in the Dail from any party opposed this legislation so we can't even protest this with our votes. Absolute f**king bastards. I mean we're all going to die and clog up hospital beds or old people's homes one way or another, so why can't they let us drink?
There's no such thing as cheap booze in Ireland either, it's up there with the dearest in Europe as is.
I really wish we could organise some mass boycotting of pubs until they scrapped this plan, but unfortunately we let politicians do whatever they like in this country.

Atlantic Dawn

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Sure why wouldn't they do this? They're helping their friends in pubs. No one in the Dail from any party opposed this legislation so we can't even protest this with our votes. Absolute f**king bastards. I mean we're all going to die and clog up hospital beds or old people's homes one way or another, so why can't they let us drink?
There's no such thing as cheap booze in Ireland either, it's up there with the dearest in Europe as is.
I really wish we could organise some mass boycotting of pubs until they scrapped this plan, but unfortunately we let politicians do whatever they like in this country.

We could start "The Offo Movement" where we protest outside pubs

Thelonious Monk

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Sure why wouldn't they do this? They're helping their friends in pubs. No one in the Dail from any party opposed this legislation so we can't even protest this with our votes. Absolute f**king bastards. I mean we're all going to die and clog up hospital beds or old people's homes one way or another, so why can't they let us drink?
There's no such thing as cheap booze in Ireland either, it's up there with the dearest in Europe as is.
I really wish we could organise some mass boycotting of pubs until they scrapped this plan, but unfortunately we let politicians do whatever they like in this country.

To be honest I'm all for a boycott of pubs over this.

Maybe a flyer saying "i could be sitting here drinking a pint but instead I'm boycotting all pubs until this additional taxation of drink at home alcohol is taken off the agenda". Everyone drops one into their local pub. It may not do anything but if copper face jacks got a thousand of these leaflets people might start talking nationally.

Thelonious Monk

well it's not even taxation that's the kicker!