Minimum alcohol pricing is nigh

Not official reports as such but anecdotal evidence of a big increase in drug use, which is a reflection of what happened in Scotland, based on research there.

I never saw that. Could you give some numbers, not stuff like explosion and gone through the roof.

Research from Newcastle University and published in the Lancet found alcohol sales fell by almost 8% after the policy was introduced in Scotland.

And with the news from the North yesterday, that will make them give out a bit more.

I suspect problem drinkers are not the sort to be accurately recording their alcohol consumption in a Kantar survey...

To say that rural pubs are quieter now is an understatement . A significant number are already closed or else barely hanging in there . I often wonder what happened to those who used to socialise in them .

Their closure is an permanent example of how various pressure groups have acquired inordinate influence.

Then what was ever the correct price?

Various pressure groups?

They are closing because of lack of business. Caused by multiple factors including significant increase in alternatives. TV, sport, travel.

Smoking ban and drink driving have had an impact, but both are positive.

The only pressure group closing rural pubs is the public.

1.09 was the price before MUP.

That was the market price.

It's not a market price. It's not set by the market it is set by the government.

The minimum price is not set by the market. It's set by the government. To talk of that as the market price is meaningless nonsense therefore.

"The market price of an asset or service is determined by the forces of supply and demand."

The minimum price was not set by forces of supply and demand.

It may or not be correct for the government to intervene in each of those specific circumstances, but each of them need to be judged on their own merits. Because it would be an absolutely absurd argument to suggest, if rent controls succeed or fail that that has any bearing whatsoever on minimum pricing of alcohol. Just briefly, consider that rent controls are in effect setting a maximum brought in due to inadequate supply and MUP is about reducing demand through a minimum price.

So that's some attempt in that post at whataboutery and deflection all because you were challenged on calling it the 'market price'.

So you've gone from calling it the market price, to "where the Govt intervenes in market forces".

Yeah and where the government intervenes to that extent, it's not the market price then - it's not primarily determined by supply and demand. If it was determined by supply and demand the price of alcohol would be at pre-MUP levels.

You cant have your cake and eat it.

If its ok for the govt to intervene with a Max price for rents, to help manage the supply and demand challenges around housing, then it has to be correct for them to intervene with a minimum price also.

Especially if the intervention is to promote health benefits in our population.

The market price is the market price.

The government intervenes with all regulatory proecdures and legislation.

They are allowed to do so and their actions can influence the market price.

The market price is the cost of selling goods within the confines of the law.

It is not the price you would like it to be, just because it used to be that price. :)

Otherwise we should all be complaining at the price of a pint of milk, compared to what it was in 1960.

All prices, for all products, are subject to intervenion from the government, in case you hadn't noticed.

The govt influence the market price for EVERYTHING you buy and consume.

Look at the tax on diesel and petrol, which will only increase as we accelerate the Green agenda.

MUP is just another example of govt influence on a market price.

I know you dont agree with it, but if it does help reduce alcohol consumption in Ireland, it can really only be deemed a success.

Lets at least give it a chance.

I'll give you this much you are persistent.

However persistence is no substitute for facts.

The market price for an item is what it is worth on an open market.

That price is determined by what the seller is willing to sell at and what a buyer is willing to pay.

By introducing MUP the Government purposely put an end to the open market for alcoholic drinks.

It is now illegal for sellers to sell at the price they wish to sell.

You can continue to claim that the MUP price is the market price but you will be wrong every time you make that claim.