Minimum alcohol pricing is nigh

You are trying to discuss logical observations based on facts with someone who believes pint glasses in the UK couldn't have a crown on them due to EU regulations.

Technically it's not a tax, it's a price manipulation that is mainly impacting the poorest and most vulnerable in our society. The fact it also marginally increases the vat intake does not make it a tax either.

Technically it's not a tax but it's another example of pure and utter laziness by the government. Only a few months ago they were boasting about an €8bn surplus in tax take. Why not spend some of that money targeting the people who have issues on treatment centres and councellors etc instead of everybody. The idea that by pricing out alcoholics will make them stop is beyond lunacy. There isn't a day goes by in the courts where people are arrested for stealing a bottle of Vodka or Whisky. I'd like to see the stats on the rate of alcohol shoplifting pre MUP and now.

Problem is that the imported UK stuff is generally inferior (IMO). Take Carlsberg for example (my poison of choice), 500ml cans here 4.3%, cans in Newry are 440ml 3.4% and taste a hell of a lot worse.

Edited to state IMO as taste is subjective but most beers I've had in NI/UK taste worse than over here.

That’s why you’d buy Carlsberg Export in the U.K.

No doubt they'll be claiming the minimum pricing is working 🙄

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/alcohol-consumption-falling-drinks-industry-says-1662540.html

I suggested the banning of bulk-buying discounts, but it wasn't a popular suggestion here.

But one single purchase can for €1.80, versus 24 cans for €20 never sat right with me. Now we've effectively ended up with that situation where there can be no bulk-buy discount, but it's all at the upper end price-wise.

Thank fcuk for NI. Still causes me a smile when I remember all the predictions that Stormont would bring in the same MUP rules by early 2023 at the latest.

Has the penny dropped yet? People keep blaming AAI when this is nothing more than market protection and price fixing by the large producers and retailers. AAI are nothing more than a useful mouthpiece.

They used MUP to get rid of the cheaper alternatives and now that the market has been returned to them, a excise cut is a pure redistribution of money to them away from the public, paid for by the punters.

Not quite a roaring success in Scotland!

The evaluation noted that there was limited evidence to suggest MUP was effective in reducing consumption for people with alcohol dependence. ………..

The Scottish Government acknowledge whilst there is limited evidence that MUP was effective in reducing alcohol consumption for people with alcohol dependence it's important to note that MUP is a whole population policy with a particular focus on hazardous and harmful drinkers. People with alcohol dependency fall within the highest consumption end as a subset of the harmful drinking category. Given the clinical needs of this particular group, MUP alone was not intended as a key intervention to address the needs of this group – treatment and care services are critical for this group. Increased investment from the national mission on tackling drug-related deaths is being used by Alcohol and Drug Partnerships across Scotland to support people facing problems because of both alcohol and drug use

Waiting for our Gov't to increase funding for treatment and care services as noted above. Won't be holding my breath.