Minimum alcohol pricing is nigh

And when you consider a fair few of the craft beers in supermarkets are owned by the big companies they might be pushing it to keep their cheaper option looking cheaper. For instance Molson Coors probably want to maintain the same price difference between Molson, Blue Moor and Fran Will that the had before

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.

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.

Ah so it's the pubs crying

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

The taste of that piss will sort out that issue

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

Rarely if ever agree with the man but in point.

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.

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?

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.

"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?

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.

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

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.

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.

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.