Minimum alcohol pricing is nigh

Some of them do but they know it is impossible so they content themselves for now with inflicting as much damage on the industry and it's customers as they can.

I think when it comes to politics what people do NOT to say is often more revealing than what they chose TO say.

This is not some side question. They are an organisation focused only on alcohol.

So they are being judged on what they have said.

Given what they have said, and in the absence of a firm statement to the contrary, I think it is reasonable to draw the conclusion as to their ultimate goal re: long term in favour of banning of alcohol.

Are they a foreign policy human rights type organisation?

Then yes it would be reasonable to draw a conclusion from failure to make such a comment.

So you have just proved my point.

They dont give speeches / policy positions on Ukraine. Or Global warming. But about alcohol and its availability and accessibility. So entirely valid to draw conclusions about what they do not say about alcohol.

is anyone seriously suggesting prohibition could happen in ireland?

AAI are anti alcohol, this is a fact. I truly believe that if they had a switch put in front of them tomorrow that would allow them to ban alcohol across the country they would do it.

Hardly.

Pub have closed in rural Ireland for numerous reasons, but anti drink ideologies are not one of them.

People have become more health concuious.

Off license drink has become cheaper and the range and availability have increased.

Drink driving laws have become stricter.

Other entertainment outlets have developed.

As old publicans retire there is no one interested in taking on a rural pub.

I'd imagine it's down because there's more to do in this country now than just drink. When I was a young teen, it was mainly sport or drinking as the 2 main things to do (living in the country with little to no public transport). Now, technology has allowed people to do other things and the younger ones are starting to realise the waste of spending so much time and money on alcohol and the same conversations with the same people in the same pubs every week. Or at least, that's the impression I'm getting from my nieces and nephews. Of the 9 of them, 7 are eligble to drink. Three have zero interest, 1 is autistic so hasn't tried it yet, two more are not bothered by it and wouldn't make too much of an effort to go drinking, and the last one is the only one who is mad for a pint, but he's struggling to find others in his age range who are. Main reasons: sport and/or tech providing better return for investment.

Would Guinness nitro surge fall under MUP ?

My main drink, a 1L bottle of Bulmers, doesn't fall under MUP but has actually got cheaper in the last few months, was usually €3.99, now €3.79.

NGOs / Advocacy groups essentially run this country now.

It's not much better if it's NGOs / Advocacy / Lobby groups essentially run this country now :(

Completely agree, but this notion that the AAI, tiny in comparison to the likes of Vintners and Drinks producers, are somehow running this country is a convenient scapegoat. Vintners were losing out to people getting the cheaper products from the likes of Lidl and Aldi. Diageo was losing out to less known brands taking more and more of their traditional markets, which over time will result in people becoming less brand loyal, which is completely against the business model.

Vintners could see that people were moving away from the traditional drinking in the pub and this was an attempt to rebalance (to their favour) the pricing as pubs cannot compete with off licence sales as the cost of running the pubs continues to increase.

None of them lost out from this. You and I did, the cheaper brands have. But not the big boys. They love this. What I am saying is that the anger directed at the AAI should be directed at the effective cartel that has been legalised in this country. They did the exact same with drinks promotions in pubs. It stops competition dead as why pay the same price for the unknown when you can just order the usual?

It costs about €17,000 a year to pay for 60 cigarettes a day. Employers do not have to provide smoke breaks, so it could be difficult for someone like that to hold down a job. I think the price must deter some people. If they have a double addiction to nicotine and alcohol, they would need serious money to fund it.

Price deters me, someone who doesn't have a problem with alcohol. I rarely drink, and less so now that it's gone very expensive.

Price doesn't really deter those at whom this legislation is aimed, i.e. the people that have a problem with alcohol.

A lot of young people spending a lot of money on Drugs- Cocaine in the main.

No money left to go to a pub after spending 100-300 Euro each week on cocaine apparently.

Which leaves you in a pretty good situation.

On the other hand while I also enjoy a nice cider sometimes my favoured tipple is beer, mostly standard 4.3% stuff.

It now costs a minimum of €1.70 per can.

Before MUP I could buy it regularly on offer for €1 per can, often even less.

I am a MUP loser 🙂