Why not make alcohol illegal?

[OP8S]

One reason of the top of my head for not making alcohol illeagal is that our prison systems are full to capacity with folk already caught foul of our archiac drug policies, so sending them to prison would put extra strain on the prison system. Also sending somebody who likes a drink into a situation where dangerous hooch & other substances are available would do nothing to reform the drinker, in fact they would very probably come out of prison with more than just a drink problem. I have seen this happen too many times, people sent to Craiginches on pretty minor offences get mixed up with all sorts of nasty criminals, who then bully them, get them hooked on harder drugs & pressure them to bring more drugs into the prison if they are on home leave. If they don't then they know what the consequences are. I don't think that the prison system has enough room for any more prisoners who for the most part are only harming themselves & the country certainly doesn't have enough ££££'s to keep the thousands of drinkers who would get caught out with their home-brew, or moonshine.

Incarceration should be kept for the real criminals of this society, violent offenders, rapists, paedophiles. People who knowingly abuse or hurt others...& of course thiefs whether they are breaking into others houses or screwing every penny they can out of this countries economy. Prohabition has never been successful in any country, even when the threat of the death penalty is a possible outcome.

[Daegerty]

There are enough things in life Illegal already.

 

Nothing wrong with enjoying a pint or 10 once in a while

[Guest Anonymous]

for a start any one can make alcohol, but not every one can make it good.

if you think badly cut smack is a killer try drinking some rot gut hooch.

[Para Handy]

Yes sooner the better too

[wullie m.]

Having helped scupper the alcohol minimum pricing bill in the last session of the parliament. The Lib Dem's have reversed their view on this and intend to back the government, according to their new leader this morning. The party possibly thought this wheeze up in the taxi to Holyrood.

The hapless and clueless Tavish is strangely quiet on the subject.

[OP8S]

It's no other than a tax against those who have little enough already. When it was discussed on Newsnight Scotland some months ago, a few tins or bottles of cider were priced at least 1/3 more than they are now, wine had a similar large increase in price also. Pretty much what the majority of people who like a drink will regularily buy. Of course a bottle of 21year old malt whiskey, which is more likely to be seen in the MP's drinks cabinet. Something that we may of been fortunate to of recieved as gift & take out of the cabinet a couple of times a year for a celebratory nip, well the price of that had only increased by 24p !!

Just another tax on the lower classes, the gap continues to widen between rich & poor which is becoming visibly obvious on the mainland increasingly.

Sadly it seems like the lib/dems are just going to do as they are told.

[mogling]

I had wondered who was going to benefit from the extra income when they bring in Minimum Unit Pricing, which is now looking quite likely

 

"Now in majority government, the SNP has the votes to pass the measure, regardless of opposition, which it says is a vital tool in tackling Scotland's long-standing history with drink-fuelled violence and related health problems - put at an annual cost of £3.56bn."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-14804186

 

 

"where NICE have got it wrong, lies in their inability to look at the bigger picture.

The benefit of using duty as an instrument for reducing alcohol consumption is that any additional revenue raised goes to the Treasury; whereas with a minimum unit pricing regime any additional income goes direct to the drinks industry, since manufacturers, suppliers and supermarkets would simply increase prices to meet the proposed minimum unit price. "

http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/6051908/minimum-unit-pricing-nice-but-wrong.thtml

 

So, would this be a good time now to buy shares in spirits manufacturers & supermarkets?!

[OP8S]

Indeed. Any extra money charged for alcohol should be invested into our already cash-strapped NHS & not the pockets of the alcohol industry, who have quite enough profits already.

[oncomm]

Why not make it illegal?? because it is currently legal and the UK would be in uproar.

[Dratsy]

at the end of your last but one post op8s you say that the lib dems will just do as they are told. But as it is a SNP policy it has damn all to do with the lob dems or the tories for that matter. But all to do with a bunch of lefty racist morons whose stupidity is only going to increse english supermarkets profits.

[jambo6]

I think this might have some bearing - according to the 2009 Oxford Economics Report on the alcohol industry

http://www.beerandpub.com/documents/publications/news/Oxford%20Economics%20Alcohol%20Industry%20final%20report%2024%20feb%202009.pdf-

 

"In total, 668,000 people are employed in the production and retailing of alcohol. Of these, 31,000 work in drinks production. In the on-trade (pubs, restaurants and hotels etc) 546,000 people and in the off-trade (supermarkets and off-licenses) 91,000 owe their jobs to the sale of alcohol.

 

Including indirect and induced jobs, over 1.8 million jobs in the UK economy are supported by the drinks industry."

[OP8S]

Tories, lib/dem's , SNP, Labour. There's not much choice when it comes down to it. Not IMO anyway, they're all just a bunch of puppets controlled by the hands that feed them. The difference between left wing & right wing is barely distinguishable nowadays. It's either right wing or slightly less right wing. It's big business who pull their strings hoping to increase their profits.

Some might say this country's going to the dogs!

[marlin13]

The people across the pond found how futile it was to make alcohol illegal, anyone remember prohibition...

The only way to tackle the subject is through social change, as this could easily take 20 years or more its no good for some box ticking politician.

More inclusive events ie all ages tend to bring out a better side to people and less nonsense is tolerated. However get a bunch of young ones together and you often (i'm not saying always) get a carry on. Same goes for some other groups.

Its a wide and complex issue relating to our whole society.It is not something that can be "fixed" people just have to gently persuade others and lead by example over time.

I used to scoop large amounts when younger, but now a bit older and wiser, and with medical issues, i am much changed(but no saint !!).

On the subject of which it is of some concern that the booze ban i Lerwick(which I do NOT support) is relaxed each year for up helly aa, perhaps the worst possible example which could be shown. All our leading members of society roaming around under the influence. All that says is its not ok for the ordinary man in the street, but when us in authority feel like getting blootered we change the rules.

Let it be said i think that while drinking should be allowed, there must be boundaries. I believe the law already accounts for these if individuals cannot.

[Patzel]

seems as if it's not going to be illegal but going to be expensive...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-15525950

[mogling]

I think, all that this minimum pricing is going to achieve, is, to send some children to school in the morning with even emptier bellies, thinner clothes

and no money for a playpiece, the Bookclub / music lessons / school trips etc. But, they will have 'ticked a few boxes'!

 

People who want to drink, will, regardless of the price - like us smokers - something else 'gives ' to find the cash, or they will acquire the money somehow?

 

They might as well go and raise the duty on cigarettes, Take-away foods, etc. while they're at it!