Minimum alcohol pricing is nigh

I done that today. Bought up north. Even factoring in petrol. Which I only pay tax on anyways as it's a BIK from work. I saved over 100 Euro versus me buying here.

Of course I'll have padded the MUP is working stats when reports are championing alcohol sales being down. As is the metric used for its success in Scotland. Strangely while sales dropped massively there. Deaths have increased to some of their highest levels for 2020 and 2021. But it's convenient to blame covid on that. They must think more people are dying on much less alcohol consumption.

That's only a saving if you actually need all that alcohol. If you could not get to the North, would you have spent that extra €100 here?

Not to the extent that I was "saving" €100. From the objections raised to MUP, I doubt if any of the people in poverty who are supposed to suffer the most could spend 100's on bulk buying.

Ahh back to this fallacious chestnut where only the people in poverty are affected and therefore have a right to be annoyed by it.

For people intending to go North, remember the drink was cheaper there anyway before MUP. And people were going North for drink before MUP. If someone is "saving" €100 this week, they might have "saved" €50 two weeks ago.

It isn't important enough to me personally to boycott. I don't drink that much at home, so while the extra costs are annoying and something I am against, it isn't something that I'm going to drive to NI or home brew to get around.

As for inflation, it is based on prices, not on what people actually buy. If beer was €1 last week and now €2 then that is inflation. Whether people buy it is another matter.

I don't expect anyone to actually boycott. At the end of the day the majority will accept it and move on

Along with people dabbling more in illegal drugs there’s bound to be a rise in illegal bootleg alcohol now as well

which will be sold to the most vulnerable and also the price sensitive such as students.

Wasn’t there a few cases of illegal alcohol poisonings over the last few years

Vaccines are meant to protect against disease. But there are people who have a principled objection, based on a belief that whatever those in authority do it is always for some ulterior motive. Like mind control in the case of the Covid vaccine.

With MUP it seems to be a belief that it is a measure that is only there at the behest of business people, to protect their own sectoral interests. The antis won't listen to any argument that it is a Public Health measure, based on scientific advice. The title of the legislation is Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018. Section 11 deals with MUP.

In your own case what is the basis for your principled objection to this legislation? Seeing that you can afford to keep drinking as much as before.

https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2018/act/24/enacted/en/print#sec11

Literally all the evidence. Are you sure there might not be 1% of the evidence the other way?

Where is the scientific evidence for implementing MUP? AAI appear to be quoting a singular 2014 report from Sheffield University on affordability ignoring all other inflationary factors and the fact that alcohol consumption has been dropping for the last decade.

Why was affordability not addressed if it is a factor by excise duty? This is why people are skeptical with regard to the vintners lobbying.

Back to brewing for me in the interim which is a wonderful if obsessive hobby and while I will still enjoy an occasional bottle of Green Spot or Bulleit Bourbon I'm annoyed that again the adult population will have additional increased outgoings without any sensible debate taking place without hyperbole.

Crack cocaine which is taking it's foothold in working class areas and methamphetamine which could flood Europe after the massive drop in production prices in Afghanistan much like heroin after the Iranian revolution are far more dangerous substances that preventative resources should be put in to now.

My objection is based not on my opinion that MUP is a complete waste of time and does nothing to address a drinking culture or consumption. And don't even bother referencing Scotland. 2020 was the highest death toll from alcohol related deaths in over 12 years and also the year with record lows of alcohol sales. I've family and friends in Scotland. I know what they do. Purposeful trips across to England, ask family to bring drink back from holidays or either buy it themselves when away. Or use family or friends to buy in bulk when down in England or over in Belfast when working. Lots of people drive for a living or travel as part of work. So it's not always a long trip anywhere. They may already be there. And on their jobs fuel cost.

I think it's completely naive to think that MUP will not lead to people simply changing buying habits and consuming the same amounts or even something more dangerous. But in a manner where stats look like consumption are down and nothing more is done about the problem. Trips up north, buying when travelling for work, bringing back from holiday's, home brewing kits, black market spirits (huge in Scotland by the way. Want some spirits, give a local lad a shout), getting a shoulder of vodka over 6 cans, trying ecstasy or coke to compliment a lesser amount of cans or just going to the pub because 6 cans is the same as some pints. So might as well go end. But end up spending more than planned because they are out and enjoying themselves. I'd say it's a weekly occurrence where people wake up the next day having spent more than they planned. Some people might also smoke more if in a pub. Or pop into the bookies.

I don't like being ripped off with very little in return. MUP is completely the wrong approach in my opinion for the reasons above, which I don't think are being considered at all. I think there is a big disconnect between policy makers and the actual reality of day to day life for people.

Read it and weep.

https://groceries.asda.com/aisle/beer-wine-spirits/beer-lager-ales/ale-bitter/1215685911554-1215345814764-1215352668687

Any links. Was interested in this before but didn't know anything about it.

What am I missing here? Surely the cheap slabs that we have been spoiled with for several years now are hardest hit. And with slab prices up north in & around 34€ vs €42 here, you’d want to be getting some haul to make it worth the trip when you take fuel & time into the equation. Obviously makes sense to load up if you had planned a trip for reasons other that just a booze run but for alcohol alone, I cannot see the attraction for most.

A student's union will of course be against it - guess who votes them in?

And their statement that there were "floods" of people stocking up is bs