We can all get on board with celebrating hosting the Commonwealth Games or thinking more should be spent on Education or NHS. But sometimes it's best to be at loggerheads, roll the sleeves up and get stuck into a good old-fashioned political ruck.
So, to that end, God bless alcohol.
Yes, in an age where parties are falling over themselves to be the most 'radical' we can only conclude that the SNP will be one of the few who actually deserve that tag given their potential new policies on solving the problems associated with binge-drinking. Note, of course, that this is a pre-legislative consultation document. In other words, they are coming up with ideas and throwing things up flagpoles rather than nailing their colours to the mast on this.
But the gernal direction that they are taking on fighting binge-drinking and anti-social behaviour is highly commendable.
These policies are:
- Raise the limit for purcahsing alcohol in off-licenses to 21
- Reprice drinks to a minimum of 35p per unit of alcohol
- Have dedicated checkouts in some of the larger supermarkets
- Increase of financial support for alcohol prevention, treatment and support services
And let's remind ourselves of the unique list of problems that Scotland faces with regard to alcohol. This is taken from today's Scotsman's highly complimentary "Tough measures are what alcohol abuse requires" opinion piece:
"The annual cost of alcohol misuse in Scotland is estimated at £2.25bn, with alcohol related deaths more than doubling in the past decade. We also have one of the fastest-growing liver cirrhosis death rates in the world. Our casualty wards every weekend are full of victims of drunken assault. … It is also useful to remember that many previous campaigns, initiatives and task forces designed to combat alcohol abuse have failed to make an impact."
So it's fair to say that anything other than a full-on approach to tackling this problem from the SNP would have (quite rightly) been derided as being limp and ineffective.
The raising of the price of alcohol per unit, the inability to buy over the counter until you're 21 and the inconvenience of having to go for a separate checkout to buy alcohol are all prices worth paying to reverse the trends noted in The Scotsman above. A drastic decrease in neds hanging around street corners, random violence down and NHS pressures eased all sound good to me.
And what more proof do we need that it can be effective than looking to West Lothian where a six-week trial has seen unquestionable descreases in anti-social behaviour and vandalism. Yes, it's true that fake ID and getting "Chantelle's" big brother to buy you booze is a way around these new measures but the inconvenience will be enough to make a big dent in the problem. As we've seen with West Lothian of course.
Of course, the partisan political manouevring and hand-wringing has already begun but Scotland in general needs to think big on this one, a mindset that it has so miserably failed at for decades.
So yes, for a Government that's been accused of being populist and not being brave enough to take the difficult decisions, I think we can all agree that the SNP mean serious business when it comes to tackling one of Scotland's deepest, darkest ills.
9 comments:
Aye booze drives to Carlisle and Berwick (providing not reclaimed by Scotland are on the cards, as we up our Carbon footprint especially near Christmas to buy in our alcohol to see us over Christmas. At about 25% on Whiskey, spirits and wines and more of the hard lagers looks like Tesco Carlisle just off the M6 and in Berwick just to the north of town will both be doing a roaring trade.
Oooooh! Hand-wringing, eh?!
I thought my article was fair enough - it said I'd support some of the measures but felt that others (such as the u-21 off-licence ban) was contradictory and wrong. I thought that was the point of a consultation!
In fact I'd be prepared to consider anything which is possible (is price fixing legal - the Aberdeen court case suggested otherwise) or can actually work beyond a short-term local trial scheme which in practice will never have the same level of resources devoted to it once it's a permanent, national scheme.
I do think the SNP deserve credit for raising it as an issue. Whilst I suspect most people will be irked if the end result is that alcohol costs them more the fact it's being discussed in the open is a positive step and part of the way towards addressing the issue.
From a purely political perspective though the problem of having such a radical set of proposals at the consultation stage is that if the eventual plans are in any way watered down they may face some criticism.
I wonder if they could have tried to run this in the same way as the National Conversation (but on a subject people are more interested in) by saying there is a problem, giving some of these stats and taking it from there.
That way this issue might have been given the focus it deserves without leaving it up to party political disputes.
I very much doubt we'll see booze drives Stephen.
Who is going to do an hour down the M74 and an hour back at £1.50 a litre just to save a few pounds on their bottle of wine and beers.
You seem to have missed the point that it's only cheap wine that will see increases. Your £3 a bottle bracket.
I would really hope that at Christmas (or any other time of year) people can dig a bit deeper than £3 for a special night in with some wine.
But then, if they're just drinking it to get drunk, then perhaps not....
I agree, maybe people in Gretna will drive an extra couple of miles for their alcohol but if that is your main argument against thes proposals then it sounds like a double thumbs up from where I'm sitting.
Haha, sorry IoC, the word "hand-wringing" sprang to mind mid-type and I mischievously couldn't resist using it.
To be fair to you, you were (typically) on the fence throughout your post but I was mostly referring to this paragraph of yours with the handwringing comment:
"My gut instinct is that most people will not be too pleased by this, purely because of the increased cost and hassle to them. I do wonder if the SNP might have been better finding some middle ground options, at least in the first instance;"
I thought that sounded a bit like an approach that was less to do with fixing a problem and more to do with not wanting to inconvenience people to much (i.e. handwringing).
I also disagree with the "most people will be irked" idea. The price rises are hitting the cheap-ass beers, Tesco's own brand, Glen's vodka, White Lightning and Lambrini etc. Consumers do not represent "most people".
Even if drinkers of these products aren't causing antisocial behaviour, they should be charged extra for their lack of class (that's a joke, but my overall point still stands)...
18-20 year olds have something of a genuine grief but (1) all strata of that age, including students, contribute to the problems that these measures are trying to reverse, (2) if they are so desperate for some drink then they can head to pubs and student unions and (3) maybe befriending people who are 21+ might inject some maturity into those that need it at such a difficult age.
I spent a couple of weeks in the USA and stayed in a flat with 5 19-20 year olds. They got round the 21+ alcohol restrictions just fine with older friends they had and I daresay the US (or Boston at least) still got the benefits of less binge-drinking.
You raise something of a valid point with the National Conversation but our leaders are their to lead. They can't put everything to a referedum every time a difficult question raises its head.
After all, look where that got Europe's best enemy Ireland...!
(Still loving that No result though!)
Jeff,
I could (and will!) point out that the Irish vote is a clear example of what happens when politicians get ahead of what the populace as a whole wants - which I still think could be the case with some of the alcohol proposals.
You're absolutely right that people will get round the age limit issues - which is why I would question their value, at least as a first step.
Having worked in pubs and clubs for a number of years I know that it can be hard to tell the difference between 16/17 and 18, and that only gets harder as you get older. Making it a legal requirement for produce ID to buy alcohol if you're under 21 would help sort this - it's much harder to confuse a 17-year old with someone who's 21 than 18.
I'm interested in the West Lothian pilot scheme although would like more info on this (and can't find it anyweher online) e.g. were there extra patrols to police this, were there any other factors which could have affected the fall. These all matter before we decide with absolute certainty that this idea will work.
This is a policy which WILL affect a lot of people. If price wasn't an issue we wouldn''t hear so much just now about inflation and so when people realise they can no longer buy 2-for-1, or their pub prices go up or they just have to queue twice I think there will be a reaction against it. Which is why I think the plans will end up being watered down (a bit like pints in some pubs - boom boom!).
The biggest question for the SNP is how they can introduce this (if the current proposals come into play). If it's quickly and before the next election people a) are used to the inconvenience and no longer care and b) they see a reduction in anti-social behaviour and violence then this shouldn't hurt them.
But if not I can't imagine this will do them much good.
Erm Jeff, when we were students on London we used to cruise across to France for the fay to get our allowance. Grand total saving on the entire trip probably about £2 a head.
As I've said elsewhere today, it will affect the border regions first. Just the way there are no petrol stations within a few miles of the Northern Irish side of the border the same will happen to borders off licences etc. The knock on effect will then take over the locally set fee as councils give in to trademsnas demands to cut then some slack and ripple effect.
I also wasn't saying it for the one off weekend drink. But for weddings, parties, Christmas etc expect an exodous.
The appropriate age for young people to be allowed to drink liquor, must be raised to 21 because of certain alcohol abuse. There is also a need for parents as well as the government, in regulating alcohol sales to minors in order to avoid problems that may surface anytime. This is done to avoid early onset of alcohol related diseases, and for everybody to enjoy a peaceful environment.
酒店經紀人,
菲梵酒店經紀,
酒店經紀,
禮服酒店上班,
酒店小姐兼職,
便服酒店經紀,
酒店打工經紀,
制服酒店工作,
專業酒店經紀,
合法酒店經紀,
酒店暑假打工,
酒店寒假打工,
酒店經紀人,
菲梵酒店經紀,
酒店經紀,
禮服酒店上班,
酒店經紀人,
菲梵酒店經紀,
酒店經紀,
禮服酒店上班,
酒店小姐兼職,
便服酒店工作,
酒店打工經紀,
制服酒店經紀,
專業酒店經紀,
合法酒店經紀,
酒店暑假打工,
酒店寒假打工,
酒店經紀人,
菲梵酒店經紀,
酒店經紀,
禮服酒店上班,
酒店小姐兼職,
便服酒店工作,
酒店打工經紀,
制服酒店經紀,
酒店經紀,
菲
梵,酒店,
Post a Comment