Minimum alcohol pricing is nigh

Not to drag the thread off topic but nicotine is harmful, its been scientifically proven to be so - vapes are only considered 'less' harmful due to typically lower nicotine content plus no tar etc.

We frankly have not regulated them enough. Bringing the discussion back to alcohol - the type of regulation we pursued was the wrong type. I believe drinking could have been massively reduced if we pursued a different policy.

Consumption has been dropping steadily I am aware, not as fast as it should be however.

It is important to note that I personally don't mind people drinking alcohol. Its the culture around it that bothers me. At one point I realised drinking culture wasn't changing so I said feck it, may aswell support MUP. Less drinking=less drinking culture therefore I'm happy with it even though I know MUP was brought in and is still in place under false pretenses.

I support MUP because I dislike drinking culture not drinking itself. Less drinking means less drinking culture.

Until the culture around it changes then I will keep supporting and argueing for MUP. I wouldn't mind drinking increasing if the culture around it changed.

I am fully aware its a sham designed to help pubs.

The 'rounds' system if you can call it that - lets say 10 to a table and everyone gets a round. Thats 10 pints each - now if you are intending on drinking ten pints then sure its grand but not everyone will want 10, someone might only want 3 or 4 on the night.

Why not say listen lads, I'll get you back next time we are out? I do the same with my running friends at the post run coffee - its always I'll get you back next week (or whenever that next time is).

The call the non drinker a boring, miserable dry bast*rd needs to go, yes gary in the office doesn't drink - he focuses on his sport or health. No need to slate him every single time he refuses to go out. Even if he does go out just to make an appearance/be social - he will still get bombarded with 'oh just have one , come on - don't be a boring bast*ard all the time etc'.

Thirdly, why does all celebrations have to have drink. Why not do something different which does not include alcohol? - it seems like people use birthdays etc as an excuse to drink rather then celebrate the birthday itself.

Ok so a lot of what you said is completely outdated to be honest.

If there's 10 lads out having pints together everyone won't be in a round, rare that people turn up all at exactly the same time. Usually people split off into groups of 3 or so and after the first 3 people usually go off by themseleves as people drink at different paces or have different drinks eg some move to spirits. No one would be given grief unless they skipped their round in these scenarios.

What you and your running group do is irrelevant to MUP.

The "boring b*astard" stuff is rarely occurring anymore, gone are the days of lying about being on antibiotics. Loads of my friends don't drink and no one tries to force them to when we go out. You can save that stereotype for the older generation.

Not all celebrations have to have drink but it sure makes them better. Who wants to go to a bbq and have cups of tea/coffee and water rather than a few bottles of beers with friends? No one is getting hammered just having some sociable beers.

I support MUP because I dislike drinking culture not drinking itself. Less drinking means less drinking culture.

Forgot to add this in my previous reply. We know that MUP does not decrease drinking so you are supporting something that isn't reducing drinking levels.

So why do you support something you know doesn't work and isn't doing what you want it to do?

I've read academic arguments that Rounds culture here persisted after it died out elsewhere as an after effect of the Famine.

As Google AI summarises…

The Famine disrupted traditional marriage patterns, as land ownership became more concentrated in the hands of fewer individuals, leaving many young men unable to marry and establish families.

These unmarried men, often referred to as "bachelor boys," formed a distinct social group with their own norms and behaviors. 

For many bachelors, heavy drinking became a way to cope with the social and economic hardships they faced, as well as the lack of opportunities for marriage and family life. 

Drinking was sometimes seen as a way to demonstrate masculinity and tolerance for pain, reflecting the limited options available to them. 

In some cases, the community even tolerated or encouraged heavy drinking among bachelors as a form of release for their social and sexual frustrations. 

Out of spite.

You've destroyed your own argument that you're not against people drinking.

You've been adamant across multiple posts that you're not against people drinking until the veil eventually slipped and you admit you support an initiative that does not reduce alcohol consumption purely out of spite while ranting about drinkers.

You should have said that from the start instead of the pretence that you weren't against drinking when you very much are.

AAI pushing lies again, claiming alcohol consumption causes 8.5 billion in lost productivity….

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/alcohol-harm-costing-workplaces-e8-5-billion-in-lost-productivity-1794330.html

What is not mentioned in any article is how this report is a meta analysis of over 26 different countries, none of which are Ireland and then uses the individual GDP impact on each of those countries averages it out and applies it to our GDP.

We have been told time and again to never use our GDP as a measure of anything as its disproportionately high due to all the multinationals and instead to use GNP.

But of course if AAI did that the number would likely be a fraction of 8.5 billion so they wouldn't be able to grab all the headlines….

That 'study' seemed quite far fetched. Even RTE gave them a grilling on it yesterday - anything using our GDP like that is utterly ridiculous.

I'd actually go as far as saying that report is quite damaging to Ireland's reputation as we do not have a way out of line level of absentee and presentism, but it will be pulled by someone to show that it's having some insanely huge impact on national income, based on a headline grabbing figure using extrapolated data.

To suggest that it's costing €3057 per year in lost income per employee is just not accurate.

Unless intellectual property can suffer from hangovers, it's just b/s and does not help the arguments they're making at all.

Ireland's average adult consumption of alcohol is also dropping and has dropped a lot since COVID especially, and is currently 9.49 litres which is inline with places like Denmark, and slightly lower than the UK.

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BTW, on the 'buying rounds' thing - I am not convinced that's really as big a thing for anyone under about 50. I know if I go out most people don't buy rounds. They all seem to go to the bar themselves and organise their own drinks. I don't really remember anyone ever buying large rounds other than old guys in rugby club contexts tbh who were often being way over generous.

It seems to me that whole culture has died out for a lot of people. There's no way I'm putting a table of drinks on my card tbh.

AAI needs to be de-funded and shut down, a relic of the holy Joe era where these **** think they know what's best for the rest of us. Was in Mallorca recently, a bottle of Jameson which is 32e here was 16e there, brought home 2 litres of Mallorcan rum that only cost me 26e.

The numbers and figures don't stack up and never have, the AAI is fighting an imaginary battle with the stereotype of Ireland and somehow the people in power are listening to them. This group and everyone involved in it needs to be told in no uncertain terms to **** right off.

Thats already in place now in a way. Say you need to spend €50 in Dunnes to get a €5 off your next shop voucher and you've €49 quids worth of food and a tenner bottle of wine, no dice.

Wouldn't be surprised if they closed off licenses earlier