Off licenses closing at 10pm and nanny state

maggy_thatcher wrote: »

Maybe a better option would be to have a breathalyser test at the off-licence -- make it so that if you want to purchase alcohol you have to be (reasonably) sober. Also make it an offense to purchase alcohol on behalf of a drunk person (the same way it is illegal to purchase alcohol on behalf of a person who is too young) -- actually, isn't this already an (unenforced) law already?

This way, we actually target the problem (apply nanny state rules to the binge drinkers) while those responsible enough to look after themselves are left alone to purchase alcohol if/when they like, whether that's in the morning or night time.

How about you just let the shop decide when it wants to open and let Darwin awards sort the idiots out.

IMO with too many rules you turn people into total retards.

i.e. There was an Irish lad after climbing into one of the empty vats in Heineken Amsterdam one day because 'there was no sign'

Then he proceeded to complain about there not being any sign.

jd007 wrote: »

I do disagree with the ridiculous 10pm closing times of off licenses but if you know you're going to working a 15 hour shift and know you're going to want a drink than maybe get it before work or something?

10pm minus 15hours = 7am and you can't buy it then either.

Alcohol Advisory Board came up with about 20 recommendations to curb the alleged problem with binge drinking - most of their recommendations would have caused these sort of threads to be 50 pages long rather than 4 or 5.

Stuff like a massive increase in excise duty, a minimum price that could be charged per unit, banning of advertising, banning of multiple purchase discounts, reduction in the number of licensed premises, increase in the drinking age, etc etc.

The government couldn't totally ignore all their recommendations though, and went with the least troublesome, the setting up of drinkaware.ie, some new rules on advertising, and the 10pm closure of off-licenses.

The government played this one ok imo.

Stock up on alcohol. My trick is to always have a bottle of something I don't particularly like around the house, in my case whiskey. So I'll still make sure to buy the beer/vodka I want, but if circumstances conspire against me I always have a fallback.

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

Alcohol Advisory Board came up with about 20 recommendations to curb the alleged problem with binge drinking - most of their recommendations would have caused these sort of threads to be 50 pages long rather than 4 or 5.

Stuff like a massive increase in excise duty, a minimum price that could be charged per unit, banning of advertising, banning of multiple purchase discounts, reduction in the number of licensed premises, increase in the drinking age, etc etc.

The government couldn't totally ignore all their recommendations though, and went with the least troublesome, the setting up of drinkaware.ie, some new rules on advertising, and the 10pm closure of off-licenses.

The government played this one ok imo.

Stock up on alcohol. My trick is to always have a bottle of something I don't particularly like around the house, in my case whiskey. So I'll still make sure to buy the beer/vodka I want, but if circumstances conspire against me I always have a fallback.

So, in other words, high alcohol prices make people behave like alcoholics - if I could get a good pint for €2.50 I'd always drink in the pub, but it's so dear that instead I end up calculating that my local supermarket will sell 8 Litres of 4.9% beer for €15, or 700 ml of vodka for €12, and I probably end up drinking more than I would than if alcohol were cheap.

goose2005 wrote: »

So, in other words, high alcohol prices make people behave like alcoholics - if I could get a good pint for €2.50 I'd always drink in the pub, but it's so dear that instead I end up calculating that my local supermarket will sell 8 Litres of 4.9% beer for €15, or 700 ml of vodka for €12, and I probably end up drinking more than I would than if alcohol were cheap.

I'm genuinely not sure what point you were making, did you mean to reply to my post?

All I was giving was a small bit of history of how the 10pm rule came about - how it wasn't something that happened in isolation. One of the customers in my job (software stock control) is a major importer of alcohol and tobacco so they kept me aware at the time of what was happening and I thought it was fascinating. The goverment had the 'do gooder' lobby and medical lobby on one side insisting on ridiculous new rules to protect the children or whatever, the business community on the other hand who wanted the status quo and the customers who were also quite content with the situation as well.

Its too simplistic to blame this on the publican/FF thing, if this was true then the government could quite easily have gone with the recommendation that no unit of alcohol could be sold for less than €2, which wouldn't have affected pubs but would have crippled OLs.

johnn wrote: »

Obviously if people like the OP could control themselves issues like this would never have arisen :rolleyes: Some people can't live without the sauce.

Think that's a bit over the top tbh,from my reading of it the OP is just expressing the opinion that he would like to have the option to purchase alcohol after 10pm. Very reasonable considering Pubs/Clubs serve it well beyond that time. His self "control" doesn't come into the equation.

faceman wrote: »

Im still not convinced though, when people get hammered rational and logical thinking often goes out the window!

Maybe it'll discourage them from getting hammered in the first place

faceman wrote: »

That makes sense. I cant really disagree with most of your points. And in fairness, we dont have any data relevent to Ireland to show if earlier closing of offies has made any difference.

i do disagree with your point of stronger penalities for D&D behaviour. I dont think it will make any difference to behaviour.

Ya its too soon to see statistics on it, but scotland has also introduced the 10pm rule, and there are also under spotlight for binge drinking problems. I honestly feel it will do little to tackle the problem.

Fair enough if you disagree but, would you agree that people that are violent with drink were to get a rather stern punishment this will lead them to maybe think twice in the future as to how much alcohol they will consume.

feelingstressed wrote: »

I'm the OP, what's the issue?

Read my post again, it was for one or two drinks after working shift. Having a quiet drink on my own.
Not knocking back cans on the street late at night or having no self control. My post wasn't even a rant



Thank you Sir

I dont get why you cant buy drink on the way to your shift, or during your weekly tesco shop and drink it when you get home? If I bought food on an as needed basis id be ranting and raving that the spar down my road closes at 10pm. So to overcome this massive problem I usually buy what I need for the week on a Monday thus solving future food/drink shortages.

Apparently they have fridges in shops now. Works wonders.

Grimes wrote: »

I dont get why you cant buy drink on the way to your shift, or during your weekly tesco shop and drink it when you get home? If I bought food on an as needed basis id be ranting and raving that the spar down my road closes at 10pm. So to overcome this massive problem I usually buy what I need for the week on a Monday thus solving future food/drink shortages.

The point is people do these things on a spur of the moment. The odd time walking home I'd pass an offie an think jez wouldn't mind 1 or 2 bottles too relax in the evening. I don't have this problem cause I finish before 10, but I can see how this is an inconvenience to some.

johnn wrote: »

So you think it is normal to sit at home on your own getting pissed on a regular basis Measures such as this are brought in to protect irresponsible people like you from yourself. Sounds to me like you might have a bit of a problem with the booze OP.

What the hell?? Ridiculous post, read the OPs' posts ffs, why are you so intent on trying to lable this person with your less than subtle insinuations?? He has made it clear that all he is talking about is having a few drinks when he wants and the regulations that prevent that, where does getting "pissed" come into it? Nonsense!