Minimum alcohol pricing is nigh

26-02-2021 10:18AM

Deleted User wrote: »

Another anecdote Ive shared many times before. I lived abroad for a few years where they had 24 hour licensing. One night I went out to meet a few friends, playing pool and drinking beer, the time flew, next thing you know, they are closing, its midnight. Drinking about 2 pints an hour for 6 hours, everyone is buzzed but up for more fun. Do we all order double shots? No, we went down the street to somewhere and got a round of beers in.

By the way, I was drinking with Irish, Scottish and Ukranians. All people who officially have problems with drink. Did that night get messy? No. Hmm, why is that?

A few weeks later Im back in Ireland and go for a few drinks with some friends in the Concorde in Coolock. Again, 2 pints an hour over a few hours, but then "Time people please!", and my mate, whose round it was, buys me 2 pints and a double whiskey which I have about 20 minutes to drink.

At around the same time of night everyone who was in a pub in the county is turfed out into the street. Everyone wants the loo, a kebab and a taxi, not neccessarily in that order.

Is it really a surprise problems happen?

From my anecdotal experience that has become less of an issue here in Ireland since more places have been allowed to stay open later.

I grew up in a provincial Irish town in the '80s and '90s
It had a load of pubs and two nite clubs
The pubs closed at 11:30 in summer and 11:00 in winter, and the nite clubs closed at 1am regardless
And you had a situation where a lot of people were rushing to drink up and you had a lot of people out on the street at the same time.

But since the new laws came in in the early '00s that has changed to a certain extent.
The pubs are now open at the weekend up to 12:30 all year round and you have have a few more pubs open until 2am, and the nite clubs are still there

What it means is that the crowds are far more dispersed by the end of the night.
Some stay longer in the regular pubs, some go to the late pubs but do not stay till closing and some go to the nite club
I've noticed myself that the big last orders rush you used to see in the pub and nite club is not there anymore
In the late pubs they are very much thinned out by the time last orders come around.

24 hour opening as has been the case in England for years now would be even better with individual pubs being allowed to decide their own opening times.

JustAThought · 26-02-2021 11:51AM

Its a very different landscape now to the 9-5 little traffic 1980’s early 1990’s scenario. Now increasing businesses are working longer hours and offering call service based on different timezones from their ‘Irish’ HQ’s. You also have big international banks working American hours here with thousands of staff working ofd hours. Not to mention the massive airline industry whose crews and support staff stop as late as 11pm. The early house oub license system dosn’t suit them and my guess is they might also like the chance to get home from work, change and go out for a drink/ nightclub. Not possible in Ireland for them.

I never remember working in Dublin /Ireland when I didn’t have a huge commute. Not becUse of dustance but because of no properly functioning commuter support system. Now (pre Covid) you would work from 9-6 or half, and then still have an hour or more likely and hour and a half commute home - that means its close to 730 or 8 as you head in to cook, shower and relax a bit before deciding to go out to relax with friends and have a few pints or chat and rewind. If you’re relying on a bus in the suburbs you can add at least a half hour bus wait time and an hour commute back into the city - and then a walk to wherever you are meting. You’d be lucky if you got in by ten. Then nannystate says you have to be out by 11pm by which time your last bus has gone and you now have to face down the cost of a taxi. No wonder people are drinking socially at home or in other peoples houses in their droves.

I remember when a petrol station chain used have a sign at every counter showing how much of the petrol and wine price went directly in taxes to government. Almost 50%. When you consider your e10 bittle of wine is actually cheap plonk from abroad because the greedy government is lapping half the proce up to squander elsewhere it teally gets you thinking. They have you by the ***** no matter which way you play it.

I love when I’m abroad and can have a long leisurely meal out, go for a walk and hoover in the city at night and then sit in a street terrace in a clean safe environment free from junkies going table yo table and have a bottle of wine or a few drinks and tapas and then take a tram or late coach home - its so unrushed and relaxed and civilised. Here its a mid week frenzy to dash in & gorge through your food to have a hope of getting a drink of your choice in a bar before the public transport system shuts down and leave you in a unpoliced dark empty city looking for a taxi to oay 30 or 40 to bring you home. Hardly worth the effort anymore.

26-02-2021 12:45PM

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

From my anecdotal experience that has become less of an issue here in Ireland since more places have been allowed to stay open later.

I grew up in a provincial Irish town in the '80s and '90s
It had a load of pubs and two nite clubs
The pubs closed at 11:30 in summer and 11:00 in winter, and the nite clubs closed at 1am regardless
And you had a situation where a lot of people were rushing to drink up and you had a lot of people out on the street at the same time.

But since the new laws came in in the early '00s that has changed to a certain extent.
The pubs are now open at the weekend up to 12:30 all year round and you have have a few more pubs open until 2am, and the nite clubs are still there

What it means is that the crowds are far more dispersed by the end of the night.
Some stay longer in the regular pubs, some go to the late pubs but do not stay till closing and some go to the nite club
I've noticed myself that the big last orders rush you used to see in the pub and nite club is not there anymore
In the late pubs they are very much thinned out by the time last orders come around.

24 hour opening as has been the case in England for years now would be even better with individual pubs being allowed to decide their own opening times.

An extension from 11 to 12.30. Big whoop.

Throughout my career Ive worked numerous jobs outside the standard 9-5. I worked saturday and sunday in a tech support job where Monday and Tuesday were my weekend. I worked nights in Intel, so my 8am finish on a Monday morning was actually 'my' Friday evening. I worked 3pm to 11pm for a bank. In all those places, current licensing legislation were against me.

26-02-2021 01:03PM

Deleted User wrote: »

An extension from 11 to 12.30. Big whoop.

Throughout my career Ive worked numerous jobs outside the standard 9-5. I worked saturday and sunday in a tech support job where Monday and Tuesday were my weekend. I worked nights in Intel, so my 8am finish on a Monday morning was actually 'my' Friday evening. I worked 3pm to 11pm for a bank. In all those places, current licensing legislation were against me.

Well it was actually relatively speaking.

Even back in the day when the closing time changed from winter 11pm to summer 11.30pm around April it was a "Big whoop" as you say yourself.

26-02-2021 01:24PM

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

Well it was actually relatively speaking.

Even back in the day when the closing time changed from winter 11pm to summer 11.30pm around April it was a "Big whoop" as you say yourself.

My sarcasm was clearly lost on you.

26-02-2021 02:07PM

Deleted User wrote: »

My sarcasm was clearly lost on you.

Oh I got your sarcasm alright, but for someone who started their pub drinking in the late 1980s and went to the pub regularly thought-out the 1990s 11pm to 12:30am was a big jump when it came in in the early 2000s .

And as I said even the change from 11pm to 11:30pm each April was a greeted with enthusiasm back then.

When you were on holidays and could stay in bars until after 12 and later it was an eye opener.

L1011 · 26-02-2021 02:14PM

discodiva92 wrote: »

Is it worth buying in the north now?Uncle is a truck driver up every week

Beer - no, unless there's a really good special offer on. UK duty on beer is much the same as ours and higher on strong stuff.
Spirits - generally yes
Wine - almost always yes.

BraveDonut · 26-02-2021 02:22PM

Just because a pub can open later does not mean that it has to open later. Figure it out whinging publicans....:rolleyes:

odyssey06 · 26-02-2021 02:35PM

L1011 wrote: »

Beer - no, unless there's a really good special offer on. UK duty on beer is much the same as ours and higher on strong stuff.
Spirits - generally yes
Wine - almost always yes.

Wine -> Especially if you time it for a 25% off 6 bottles weekend in Sainsburys.
Spirits -> Especially for scotch and rum.

kenmc · 02-03-2021 08:01AM

The fcukin dry sh1te fundamentalist teetotalers are moaning again!

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/health/off-licence-sales-a-concern-for-alcohol-awareness-group-40147726.html

Wonder did they stop for a millisecond to use their collective brain cell to think that just maybe, in the first couple days in January, people were availing of the last few available offers, discounts, multibuys etc before it was verboten due to their own fcukin policy being introduced.

Absolute imbeciles.

brightspark · 02-03-2021 08:40AM

kenmc wrote:

Wonder did they stop for a millisecond to use their collective brain cell to think that just maybe, in the first couple days in January, people were availing of the last few available offers, discounts, multibuys etc before it was verboten due to their own fcukin policy being introduced.

Also last January the pubs were still open.

VinLieger · 02-03-2021 11:16AM

kenmc wrote: »

The fcukin dry sh1te fundamentalist teetotalers are moaning again!

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/health/off-licence-sales-a-concern-for-alcohol-awareness-group-40147726.html

Wonder did they stop for a millisecond to use their collective brain cell to think that just maybe, in the first couple days in January, people were availing of the last few available offers, discounts, multibuys etc before it was verboten due to their own fcukin policy being introduced.

Absolute imbeciles.

Of course they didnt, they have always manipulated the stats and compared completely different situations for their own NIMBY agenda.

They unfortunately arent imbeciles, but they are arrogant, selfish, fun sponges who see the world in black and white ie any and all alcohol = bad

KungPao · 02-03-2021 12:01PM

“...awash with cheap drink” are they drunk themselves, coming out with this rubbish?

fonecrusher1 · 02-03-2021 12:14PM

“Minimum-unit pricing is a public health measure. By refusing to implement the democratic will of the Oireachtas, this Government is allowing powerful vested interests to prosper while the lives of thousands of citizens and the futures of many children, who have to navigate the chaos of parental problem alcohol use in their daily lives, continue to be endangered. “

:rolleyes:

Sure it is lads.

Because increasing the price of drink in supermarkets is going to resolve this. Funny. "powerful vested interests" ah the irony....

Total nonsense.

kenmc · 02-03-2021 12:23PM

KungPao wrote: »

“...awash with cheap drink” are they drunk themselves, coming out with this rubbish?

No, they clearly don't drink themselves. Probably prefer to smoke stuff.

Hotblack Desiato · 02-03-2021 01:30PM

kenmc wrote: »

The fcukin dry sh1te fundamentalist teetotalers are moaning again!

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/health/off-licence-sales-a-concern-for-alcohol-awareness-group-40147726.html

Wonder did they stop for a millisecond to use their collective brain cell to think that just maybe, in the first couple days in January, people were availing of the last few available offers, discounts, multibuys etc before it was verboten due to their own fcukin policy being introduced.

Absolute imbeciles.

I'll bet that 57% figure is offies only. Last January pubs and restaurants were open. And since when was "dry January" some sort of social obligation or government policy?

Fcukin' dolts.

VinLieger · 02-03-2021 01:46PM

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

I'll bet that 57% figure is offies only. Last January pubs and restaurants were open. And since when was "dry January" some sort of social obligation or government policy?

Fcukin' dolts.

Of course it is, how is it surprising that with pubs closed off license sales are up by that much?

They are maliciously disingenuous in their arguments.

ShamNNspace · 02-03-2021 01:46PM

What a great idea fitting those silly saloon doors at the entrance to the drink section in the middle of a pandemic, another surface for everyone to touch but I guess the joyless alcohol police must have their way and save us from ourselves while they sip on their expensive brandy and €30 bottle of fine wine of an evening..... the supermarkets will have to recoup the price of this nonsense somehow and in a way who could blame them

VinLieger · 02-03-2021 01:47PM

ShamNNspace wrote: »

What a great idea fitting those silly saloon doors at the entrance to the drink section in the middle of a pandemic, another surface for everyone to touch but I guess the joyless alcohol police must have their way and save us from ourselves while they sip on their expensive brandy and €30 bottle of fine wine of an evening..... the supermarkets will have to recoup the price of this nonsense somehow and in a way who could blame them

They originally wanted curtains similar to the porn sections of video stores they used to have in the US.

Yes lets make alcohol even more secret and mysterious because that wont make children want it above anything else at all.......

KungPao · 02-03-2021 01:55PM

VinLieger wrote: »

They originally wanted curtains similar to the porn sections of video stores they used to have in the US.

Yes lets make alcohol even more secret and mysterious because that wont make children want it above anything else at all.......

This comes to mind: https://media4.giphy.com/media/3orif1nPKiimFUVYRy/source.gif

If those fools want to live In Qatar, they’re more than welcome to feck off there.

Mr. teddywinkles · 02-03-2021 01:55PM

VinLieger wrote: »

They originally wanted curtains similar to the porn sections of video stores they used to have in the US.

Yes lets make alcohol even more secret and mysterious because that wont make children want it above anything else at all.......

Imagine walking out through the curtain of shame like some sort of weird perv. Ffs

dirkmeister · 02-03-2021 01:57PM

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

I'll bet that 57% figure is offies only. Last January pubs and restaurants were open. And since when was "dry January" some sort of social obligation or government policy?

Fcukin' dolts.

Dry January.

A stupid term made up by Insta huns and Facebook w*nkers.

VinLieger · 02-03-2021 02:03PM

KungPao wrote: »

This comes to mind: https://media4.giphy.com/media/3orif1nPKiimFUVYRy/source.gif

If those fools want to live In Qatar, they’re more than welcome to feck off there.

That is it exactly, i remember describing this exact scene to multiple TDs when the original legislation was being debated.

Also none of them were able to provide an adequate answer to the argument of why this legislation was being enacted to stop people with drinking problems yet everything i know about addiction is those with one don't care about the price it takes to get their fix of choice.

L1011 · 02-03-2021 02:05PM

VinLieger wrote: »

They originally wanted curtains similar to the porn sections of video stores they used to have in the US.

Yes lets make alcohol even more secret and mysterious because that wont make children want it above anything else at all.......

One of the suggested drawings of how you could implement it had "BEER CAVE" on it and drawings of glasses of beer and cocktails etc.

Because that's really not appealing to anyone.

02-03-2021 03:42PM

dirkmeister wrote: »

Dry January.

A stupid term made up by Insta huns and Facebook w*nkers.

A guy in work asked me was I doing Dry January, I felt guilty saying no, then fell over myself explaining I'm not on the sauce everyday as it is.

All round awkward encounter for both of us.

VinLieger · 02-03-2021 03:45PM

Deleted User wrote: »

A guy in work asked me was I doing Dry January, I felt guilty saying no, then fell over myself explaining I'm not on the sauce everyday as it is.

All round awkward encounter for both of us.

My answer would be along the lines of "Yes im going to stop partaking of one of the very few outlets for enjoyment i have left due to lockdown, that I'm grown up enough to still be able to limit myself to 3-4 drinks a night at the weekend."

Also imo anyone asking a question like that, especially right now, is a pious self important kunt.

02-03-2021 03:51PM

VinLieger wrote: »

My answer would be along the lines of "Yes im going to stop partaking of one of the very few outlets for enjoyment i have left due to lockdown, that I'm grown up enough to still be able to limit myself to 3-4 drinks a night at the weekend."

I was new in the company and he was just making conversation. It was also before lockdown had been heard of.

It does make me wonder are we going to enter into a period of drink-shaming. Especially during January.

That irritating advert for 0.0% beer springs to mind where she's dancing round the gym and everyone is shocked looking at her having a beer in the gym. She then reveals it's 0% alcohol.

I used to go to a gym in Czech Republic and they sold regular beer in the gym. No shaming there.

Antares35 · 02-03-2021 04:39PM

VinLieger wrote: »

They originally wanted curtains similar to the porn sections of video stores they used to have in the US.

Yes lets make alcohol even more secret and mysterious because that wont make children want it above anything else at all.......

Also, when did it become the responsibility of society as a whole rather than individual parents to prevent their kids growing up as drunks? This new "think of the children" thing is just bonkers. Why must everything be hidden in case they see it? I remember a few years ago, Tesco put Ribena behind the counter in case kids saw it and wanted it and lost all their feckin teeth. Is it too much to expect the parent to say, "no, you can't have it"? Do we all have to live in a nanny state because Johnny's ego will be permanently damaged if he hears the word no

02-03-2021 05:10PM

Antares35 wrote: »

Also, when did it become the responsibility of society as a whole rather than individual parents to prevent their kids growing up as drunks? This new "think of the children" thing is just bonkers. Why must everything be hidden in case they see it? I remember a few years ago, Tesco put Ribena behind the counter in case kids saw it and wanted it and lost all their feckin teeth. Is it too much to expect the parent to say, "no, you can't have it"? Do we all have to live in a nanny state because Johnny's ego will be permanently damaged if he hears the word no

I've been working from home for almost the last 51 weeks. I started WFH on March 12th. During that time I've gotten a glimpse into people lives during MS Teams meetings and so I can tell you there are lots of people out there who don't say no to their kids for anything.

One guy I had a daily meeting with would have his 3 year old in the room with Paw Patrol on in the background. I acknowledge it's not his only meeting of the day, but he could pause(paws it, boom boom) or say to the kid "Daddy has an important meeting now, sit quietly there for a few minutes and then you can watch Paw Patrol". But no, not once.

I know this is a bit off topic, but from what I have seen, many parents now don't say no to their kids at all any more.

Hotblack Desiato · 02-03-2021 05:37PM

Deleted User wrote: »

That irritating advert for 0.0% beer springs to mind where she's dancing round the gym and everyone is shocked looking at her having a beer in the gym. She then reveals it's 0% alcohol.

I used to go to a gym in Czech Republic and they sold regular beer in the gym. No shaming there.

Can't remember the last time I watched an advert on TV :pac: but however

0% beer is just empty calories. At least a normal beer has some benefit attached to those calories

Deleted User wrote: »

I know this is a bit off topic, but from what I have seen, many parents now don't say no to their kids at all any more.

Christ... can you imagine what they'll grow up into? :eek:

Minimum alcohol pricing is nigh

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