Minimum price for Alcohol in Scotland

[mercalia]

seems like Scotland will be the first country to be able to set a minimum price for booze, the reason to combat excessive booze consumption.
and the extra money goes to the retailers

"The 50p-per-unit minimum outlined by the legislation would raise the price of the cheapest bottle of red wine (9.4 units of alcohol) to £4.70, a four-pack of 500ml cans of 4% lager would cost at least £4 and a 70cl bottle of whisky could not be sold for less than £14. "

that would be me out £5 for a bottle of plonk No more Lidl special offers

how to get around it? give the booze away with a box of cornflakes?

All that will happen unless England does the same is that people will " go on a daytrip to Calais" type of trip across the border to stock up?
There will be coach tours set up just for that purpose?

What next - minimum price of food esp fast-food to combat fatness, which is a more serious problem? talk about a nanny state that will afect moderate drinkers.

petrol to combat pollution?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-41981909

[kwackers]

that would be me out £5 for a bottle of plonk

Sounds like it's working then!

Fast food tax next.

[meic]

All that will happen unless England does the same is that people will " go on a daytrip to Calais" type of trip across the border to stock up?
There will be coach tours set up just for that purpose?

I dont think that the margin is great enough for that.
As it is most of my supermarket drink costs about that level already, 500cc beer bottle 2.5 units £1.25. The cheap cider from Lidl will have to go up but at the levels that we "should" be drinking it will not raise by more than 50p a day.

Of course it will not impact "middle class drinkers" (the largest consuming demographic) at all.

[thirdcrank]

...

petrol to combat pollution?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_Price_Escalator

[kwackers]

Of course it will not impact "middle class drinkers" (the largest consuming demographic) at all.

A friend of mine is a liver specialist. Telling middle aged, middle class drinkers they have liver disease is their bugbear.
Most are in denial about the amount they drink and flabbergasted when told their liver is failing.

[Stevek76]

It is curious why they didn't just hike the tax a bit more instead (and perhaps introduce a reduced rate for stuff consumed on licensed premises). I guess loss leaders can be an issue. Duty on wine is already £2 a bottle so by the time the other costs are accounted for the quality of wine in a £4 bottle is going to be very dubious unless the shop is making a loss on it.

[661-Pete]

Perhaps giving up the booze might be a Good Thing, so far as certain over-exuberant individuals (even, possibly, ones on this forum) are concerned?

Speaking for ourselves, we'd hardly notice this change (not even when it spreads to England) seeing as we drink so very little. Sometimes we bring back the odd bottle of wine from France, but it's usually something of slightly better quality, which would cost 5€ or thereabouts a bottle, over there, anyway.

OK we do some cooking with wine, and for that we're quite content with plonk from Tesco's or whatever. Such as our risotto with a dash of red wine, or our Moules Marinières in white wine, tomato and garlic sauce. This last is one of our specialities - and a favourite. Okay it'll cost a few pence more...

So what's the problem?

I'll tell you what the problem is. Alcohol abuse is the problem.....

[Mick F]

My last drink was early Monday evening.
It's now Wednesday midday, and I can't see me having another drink today at all.
Going for 24hrs for me is almost unheard of. It'll be more like 72hrs before another drop passes my lips.

Why?
I was rather poorly when I woke up yesterday morning. I tried a bike ride, and only managed 17miles - that felt like 70miles.
I was in bed at 2pm yesterday afternoon and didn't get up until 06:15 this morning having been sick a couple of times.
I'm still feeling delicate.

Why was I like that?
I have no real idea. I'm improving by the hour, but slowly.

Booze is the last thing on my mind.

[PH]

It is curious why they didn't just hike the tax a bit more instead

This was the basis of the five year appeal, the judges have given their reasons for rejecting it. It's all in the article linked in the OP.

[PH]

I'm doubtful how effective this will be, but then I don't have access to the same research the Scottish Parliament do, or the same understanding of the problems. It's interesting that it's been introduced as a six year experiment and that it would need further legislation to extend it, maybe more laws should be introduced that way.
As I see it one of the most problematic types of alcohol abuse is binge drinking, rather than the stereotypical drunk who needs a drink every day. If the price was raised enough to be significant for the binges (And I don't think this will be enough) I suspect they would find other ways to get the same. Those I know who drink like this, start by getting well on the way to drunk before going out on the town, if they had a bit less money, they'd probably drink more at home and less in town.

[pete75]

By the standards of most European nations alcohol is expensive in the UK. If low prices were the cause of excessive drinking most other EU nations would have far worse alcohol related problems than the UK. Most don't.

It's not the cost of wine or beer that's significant rather the price of the average Scot's drink of choice - Bucky or Buckfast Tonic Wine as it's known in England.

Supermarkets in places like Carlisle and Berwick will get a bit of a boost from this.

[old_windbag]

This is only £3.50 at wilko whats all the fuss about.

[mercalia]

This is only £3.50 at wilko whats all the fuss about.

dont like the colour thats what

[irc]

It is curious why they didn't just hike the tax a bit more instead t.

Alcohol tax rates are set on a UK basis. So nanny state SNP couldn't raise them. Instead a minimum price will not really affect most middle class drinkers but cost a low income drinker money that could be spent elsewher

Alcoholics will find the money somewhere. They may switch from cheap cider to vodka once the bang per buck is the same. Currently a unit of alcohol in strong cider gets 7p tax and spirits 28p. Probably a change in UK duty rates there is justified.

[old_windbag]

In the old days( 70's ) I would visit a friend whose dad had home brew beer and several demijars of wine on the go. I still have a boots home brew kit from a bit of experimenting I did years ago. Perhaps all of that market has faded away but it may be that it could be a worthwhile hobby for some alchohol obsessives, and you can experiment with the alchohol content I'd have thought.

Kits like this look pretty cheap once set up with the equipment. https://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Coopers_40_pint_English_Bitter_Beer_Kit.html

If someone needs alchohol they'll find the extra money to buy it by forfeiting food or heating.