Minimum alcohol pricing is nigh

-=al=-

So Session ipa prices already went up for absolutely no reason apart from maintaining the price gap. What a surprise. What they said wouldn’t happen, happened. Shook!

if you were to have 3 sensible lower percentage ipas throughout a week, you’re already down 78 quid a year. If that extra cash went towards actually solving the issues, no problem, but it is not

440ml cans and lower abv will be introduced with the lower end stuff to help maintain the price gaps. The gouging for the average Joe begins… once again.

Suckit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118418653#Comment_118418653

They should make the drugs harder to get, apparently that works.

listermint

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118418755#Comment_118418755

I remember a heap load of smug people telling me they drink craft only. It will have zero impact on them.

Note I drink a bunch of different craft stuff and I could see this coming a mile off.

Suckit

I'm not looking forward to my next trip to my nearest beer supplier.

Phil.x

Ah so it's the pubs crying

http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0103/296021-alcohol/

Phil.x

Why not a max unit price to stop this.

Quazzie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118419209#Comment_118419209

The taste of that piss will sort out that issue

tommybrees

Some shocker when I saw the price increases in the shop today.

Dunno what to make of it atal, just gets more depressing in this country every week it seems when you see your bills.

embraer170

I disagree, the "drinking problems" are myths from the government.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118419191#Comment_118419191

That article should be pinned to the top of this thread for anyone to see who claims this a genuine health policy measure.

Freddie Mcinerney

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118418414#Comment_118418414

Age breakdown for each year?

listermint

Rarely if ever agree with the man but in point.

https://mobile.twitter.com/IrishTimes/status/1478533091673001985

dxhound2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118419540#Comment_118419540

A lot of information in the link on the last page. In general it does not support the contention that the increase in drug related deaths in Scotland is a direct result of MUP in 2018.

Over the period from 1996 to 2008 drug related deaths increased, with an average annual change of +8% per year. From 2013 to 2018 the average change was +18% per year. Over the last two years, deaths have increased by 8% and 5% respectively.

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118419125#Comment_118419125

People who drink moderately will drink less.

People who drink excessively will drink the same.

How many people switch from cars to public transport now that petrol prices have gone up? Hardly anyone I'd say. You just find the money elsewhere.

The price of booze is going up in the UK too but that's due to operating costs.

Ger Roe

I saw a recent report on capital investment secured by The Wicklow Wolf Brewery, apparently Bono. The Edge, Hozier and the founder of Lilly O'Briens Chocolates have invested in the company. The report said that the company was set up in 2014 with input from Enterprise Ireland (Government agency)

I have nothing against Wicklow Wolf and wish them every success, I live in the area where their brewery is located and hope that their continued expansion leads to additional local employment. But.... there is certainly an irony where a government agency helps to set up and expand a business producing alcohol, while other government departments declare alcohol related emergencies and are minded to introduce minimum unit pricing to reduce the levels of alcohol consumption in the country. Left department doesn't know (or care) what right department is doing?

There is no coordinated approach to what is supposed to be one of our biggest current health issues... no focus on education and prevention or treatment for the vulnerable, just a blunt financial penalty imposition for all - without even ring-fencing the additional revenue raised.

How many other alcohol producers have various government agencies supported while other government agencies wring their hands in trying to address our alcohol related health emergency? Maybe alcohol is not so much of an issue if it leads to job creation?

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118420380#Comment_118420380

no focus on education and prevention or treatment for the vulnerable.

People throw this line around all over the place.

There are loads of education initiatives around alcohol and alcohol abuse, and there have been for decades, I remember myself at school in the '80s watching videos about the dangers of alcohol abuse.

Did you miss the very high profile and very graphic ads over the last two decades around drink driving ?

There are detox and treatment facilities all over the country to help people with alcohol problems.

VinLieger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118420380#Comment_118420380

You want real irony Alcohol Action Ireland are around 95% funded by the Government so effectively our government and our taxes are paying the salaries of those lobbying the government for stricter alcohol control. Be in no doubt the AAI fundamentalists would enact complete prohibition if they could and we would be paying them to do it.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118417971#Comment_118417971

Also, in many countries alcohol is way way cheaper than here, but it doesn't turn them into a nation of alcoholics.

I posted a report here a few years ago about alcohol related deaths in Europe.

Western mainland Europe has a different drinking culture than we have here but that does not mean it's safer.

People in those countries tend to die of more long term alcohol related problems like liver disease, cancers etc, whereas we in Ireland and the UK thend to die more of alcohol related accident.

That's the difference between sipping away on alcohol multiple times in the day/week and it doing long term damage, compared to going on binges getting into fights, road accidents etc.

And eastern Europe, that's off the charts when it comes to alcohol related deaths.

As I said the report is in a post from a few years back in this thread if you want to try and find it.

zoobizoo

I disagree, the "drinking problems" are myths from the government.

"Focus on Education" - to compete with the number of times teenagers see alcohol advertising (Outdoor, TV, Online, Sports Sponsorship) and to try to counteract the "drinking is cool" and "getting really drunk is fun and acceptable" sentiments among our population, teenagers would need to have a lesson at least once a week and be hit with targeted advertising as well. Drink advertising, labeling and messaging directly targets teens (as has been proven in multiple pieces of research).

If increasing the price of very cheap booze prevents teenagers drinking as much, then that's fine with me.

Craft Breweries will be delighted with the recent price increases (I worked for a Craft Brewery) because it levels the playing field somewhat and they may pick up new customers who in the past would baulk at the difference in price.

Teenagers aren't going to be driving North to buy cheap booze and I doubt that very few people really are other than heavy users.

And those adults that are going to all that effort to get cheap cans of beer or wine or spirits, how much alcohol do you drink on a weekly basis to make it worthwhile?

Hurrache

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118420380#Comment_118420380

Wicklow Wolf stuff was never cheap though. The outrage is over a can being €3.

Homelander

It's no solution to the issues around our patterns of alcohol consumption and yes, it's irritating. But I have no plans to embark on an expedition to the North for the sake of €8 a week.

One thing that's very unfortunate is how much choice this outright removes from the market due to the 'cheap' stuff now being far from that. It's why Lidl was selling off 700ml bottles of Vodka and spiced Rum for €8 prior to January as they'd never have shifted them at €20 a bottle afterwards.

Be interesting to track sales of the likes of Druids or Dutch Gold or whatever. They may survive fine if they remain relatively cheap under the new structure, but that completely hinges on all supplies increasing prices to maintain the gap.

recyclops

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118419209#Comment_118419209

Thats the price its always been hasnt changed in over a year ?????

For what its worth I am against minimum pricing but this picture just says Wicklow Wolf prices havent changed.

Suckit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118420456#Comment_118420456

People throw this line around all over the place.

With good reason. But it isn't 'thrown about'. It is pointed out as a valid alternative to this illegal nonsense.

There are loads of education initiatives around alcohol and alcohol abuse, and there have been for decades, I remember myself at school in the '80s watching videos about the dangers of alcohol abuse

They obviously are not good enough. They need to pump the AAI money into a program that works. Not a sh!t video being wheeled into a classroom of bored teenagers.

I will be actively asking any politicians that come to my door, to cease paying charities out of taxpayers money.

I will also be asking them what other steps have been taken since MUP was implemented to ensure the point that they are stupidly trying to make, has been made. Imagine the money that is being pumped into AAI was instead pumped into a decent educational program to educate people on the vulnerabilities that can be created through alcohol, explain tolerance levels, explain not everyone will suffer. Maybe show them how to drink responsibly like the young can and do in Italy or France for example.

That's just off the top of my head. This MUP is an absolute farce and anyone that agrees with it is imho not very creative at all (to be polite).

What happens if bikes become "Crazy cheap" and become a hazard on our roads, as well as being used more and more in crime?

Will they suddenly start to price out a portion of society so that only the wealthy can cycle on the roads? Bullsh*t law.

Neamhshuntasach

Are drug deaths a good measurement for gauging whether MUP could lead to increased drug use? Opioids are by far the drug type most implicated in drug deaths. Benzodiazepines also feature heavily. Those drug types are probably not the next logical step from alcohol in a lot of cases. So drug abuse deaths may take a few years to filter through if it is more so party drugs filling the void.

Since those reports in 2019 which was a mere year after MUP being introduced in Scotland, alcohol related deaths have increased as per below link:

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/aug/17/deaths-caused-by-alcohol-at-highest-level-since-2008-in-scotland

But alcohol sales fell during the same time period. As per below link:

https://www.gov.scot/news/alcohol-sales-fell-to-26-year-low-in-2020/

So with MUP in effect in Scotland, alcohol sales fell but deaths increased to their highest level since 2008. I wonder how that wizardry managed to happen. Perhaps the black market is thriving (spirits, poitín equivalent, etc), perhaps people are brewing their own beer, or maybe taking trips to England. Or maybe just going to the pub instead and drinking the same amount there. Or perhaps more.

People will covid for increased drinking but i imagine there are some drink related deaths that ended up labelled as covid too. Either way, it shows that when people want to drink, they will drink regardless of price. And all of this is at a time when a lot of people probably had reduced income related to lockdowns and restrictions.

Phil.x

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118421167#Comment_118421167

Yes but 72 euro for a tray of small cans! But if that's your thing and you see value in it then enjoy.

At a company Christmas party one year there were lots of bottles of ww and I said nice I've seen this stuff before, well it wasn't nice, alot of people were leaving nearly untouched open bottles as they didn't like them, I'm thinking it was a very strong beer hence it tasted so bad, I also didn't know how expensive it was.

Hurrache

"Yes but 72 euro for a tray of small cans! But if that's your thing and you see value in it then enjoy"

Well there's a reason why so much crap beer is sold, it's primarily because of the low price, people aren't buying them because of the quality and the fact they like it, it's primarily because they think its cheap.

Suckit

72 small cans of p*ss. Is probably the reason it's so expensive. Make as much cash as they can in their short life window.

To be fair to Wicklow Wolf, they seem to be one of the only ones that have embraced their p*ss taste and stuck with it, instead of adding artificial citrus or other flavouring. Unless they do now add citrus flavours to it, then I take it back.

Macy0161

Not sure why Wicklow Wolf are getting singled out, but that's the retailer. Individually they're generally priced at €3 per 440ml, so no saving on that box. Elevation by them has been a gateway Craft beer for quite a few people I know actually. I think their 330ml bottles are elevation and mammoth - mammoth would be higher abv, and would probably seem quite bitter to the macro lager crowd.

Hurrache

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118422024#Comment_118422024

You don't know a whole lot about their range so if you think they just have the one type. There's actually 4 different types in that 24 pack alone that some user seems staggered about. They've a pretty big range and constantly rotate it outside of their core beers.

And they aren't small cans either, the only 330 cans they do is their non alcoholic ones, the rest are all 440.

I think the sole purpose of your post really was to see how many times you could say piss, but you were actually afraid to post the actual word.

Suckit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118422118#Comment_118422118

Each to their own, I have tried their range from Super Valu, and didn't like most of them. 440ml would be considered small cans for that price.

I got it a few times, and the other crowd that re-imagined or repackaged, almost entirely with citrus or berries with the vibrant colours. I had forgotten most of WW's range had also citrus. WW were one of the less pleasant imho.

I went through a long phase a while back of trying craft beers. I came to the conclusion most or all of the Irish ones are muck and have tried to disguise it with citrus. There were some decent craft beers, but nothing outstanding for the prices. Much better available elsewhere for half the price imho.

Although, maybe not half the price anymore with MUP.