Sunday, January 17, 2010
Drinking problem
I think I have already made my scepticism known about the efficacy of a minimum pricing regime for alcohol and whether it will really have an impact on binge drinking and alcohol-related illnesses.
I certainly believe that there should be changes to the licensing laws and to the way that booze is sold in supermarkets etc to make it more difficult for under-age drinkers to acquire it, but all the evidence points to demand for alcohol being fairly resistant to price increases and I find it difficult to see how a minimum price will break through many of the cultural norms associated with excessive drinking.
This article on the BBC illustrates that better than anything I can say. They report that adults in Scotland are drinking the equivalent of 46 bottles of vodka each in a year. It said sales for the year to September 2009 averaged 12.2 litres of pure alcohol per person over the age of 18.
The Scottish government said the figure, which had remained static since 2005, was the equivalent of 537 pints or 130 bottles of wine per person.
Now I do not believe that the price of alcohol has remained static since 2005, in fact it has increased and yet it seems to have little or no effect on the amount of alcohol consumed. A small statistic that underlines my belief in the inelasticity of demand for the stuff.
The Scottish government take the opposite view. They believe that these figures underline the need for their policy of a minimum pricing regime but frankly the evidence for this looks scant. Free will is a very difficult thing to legislate out of existence.
Instead the government appears to be taking the easy option so as to avoid the harder and more expensive route proposed by the opposition of looking at the root causes of alcohol abuse.
I certainly believe that there should be changes to the licensing laws and to the way that booze is sold in supermarkets etc to make it more difficult for under-age drinkers to acquire it, but all the evidence points to demand for alcohol being fairly resistant to price increases and I find it difficult to see how a minimum price will break through many of the cultural norms associated with excessive drinking.
This article on the BBC illustrates that better than anything I can say. They report that adults in Scotland are drinking the equivalent of 46 bottles of vodka each in a year. It said sales for the year to September 2009 averaged 12.2 litres of pure alcohol per person over the age of 18.
The Scottish government said the figure, which had remained static since 2005, was the equivalent of 537 pints or 130 bottles of wine per person.
Now I do not believe that the price of alcohol has remained static since 2005, in fact it has increased and yet it seems to have little or no effect on the amount of alcohol consumed. A small statistic that underlines my belief in the inelasticity of demand for the stuff.
The Scottish government take the opposite view. They believe that these figures underline the need for their policy of a minimum pricing regime but frankly the evidence for this looks scant. Free will is a very difficult thing to legislate out of existence.
Instead the government appears to be taking the easy option so as to avoid the harder and more expensive route proposed by the opposition of looking at the root causes of alcohol abuse.
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Increasing price of alcohol in Scotland has the backing of the police, medical opinion, social work opinion and is backed by recent research by Sheffield University.
I believe that the British Government reduced alcohol consumption during WW1 by taking punitive measures including tax increases. These measures reduced consumtion.
I believe that the British Government reduced alcohol consumption during WW1 by taking punitive measures including tax increases. These measures reduced consumtion.
I suspect there were other factors that caused the reduction of alcohol consumption during world war two.
The fact is that over the last 40 years or so the price of alcohol has been on an upward curve largely due to punitive taxation and yet we still have problems and demand remains as high now as it always did, possibly higher.
If research shows differently then it is defying common sense. There is prevailing sense in this country that government can influence major social problems by top-down measures such as this, a sense enhanced by devolution in my opinion.
The fact is that this sort of nanny-statism does not work and amounts to the adoption of easy solutions to make it look like government is doing something, instead of making hard choices and tackling the real underlying social problems.
The fact is that over the last 40 years or so the price of alcohol has been on an upward curve largely due to punitive taxation and yet we still have problems and demand remains as high now as it always did, possibly higher.
If research shows differently then it is defying common sense. There is prevailing sense in this country that government can influence major social problems by top-down measures such as this, a sense enhanced by devolution in my opinion.
The fact is that this sort of nanny-statism does not work and amounts to the adoption of easy solutions to make it look like government is doing something, instead of making hard choices and tackling the real underlying social problems.
I would tend to agree with you that the price of Alcoholic Beverages isn't price dependent. What we have seen over the past few years is the change of beers and largers being drunk in Public Houses, to these beverages being drunk in the home.
Regarding a minimum price, say 50 pence per unit, I would love to go into a pub and have a glass of port or a shot of either brandy or rum for 50 pence.
Again coming back to the supermarkets they sell white cider at 8% in either 2 or 3 litre plastic bottles the units contained within these bottles is either 16 units or 24 units, this works out at around 20 pence per unit. Similarly, cheap vodka at 40% can retail for less than £10 a 70ml bottle, 28 units for less than a tenner works out at 35 pence per unit.
There has probably been an increase in domestic violence with the demise of the public house and the rise of supermarket drinks sales.
Regarding a minimum price, say 50 pence per unit, I would love to go into a pub and have a glass of port or a shot of either brandy or rum for 50 pence.
Again coming back to the supermarkets they sell white cider at 8% in either 2 or 3 litre plastic bottles the units contained within these bottles is either 16 units or 24 units, this works out at around 20 pence per unit. Similarly, cheap vodka at 40% can retail for less than £10 a 70ml bottle, 28 units for less than a tenner works out at 35 pence per unit.
There has probably been an increase in domestic violence with the demise of the public house and the rise of supermarket drinks sales.
# posted by 
: 3:13 PM
: 3:13 PM
"The fact is that over the last 40 years or so the price of alcohol has been on an upward curve largely due to punitive taxation and yet we still have problems and demand remains as high now as it always did, possibly higher."
Could one major problem be that large numbers of people don't have a clue how much alcohol they are really drinking?
Referring to 12.2 litres of pure alcohol as being equivalent to a specific number of bottles of voldka or wine or pints of beer is pretty meaningless. The alcoholic content of drinks of various types such as wines, beers and spirits varies considerably. For example wine commonly varies from around 9% to 14% by volume
Could one major problem be that large numbers of people don't have a clue how much alcohol they are really drinking?
Referring to 12.2 litres of pure alcohol as being equivalent to a specific number of bottles of voldka or wine or pints of beer is pretty meaningless. The alcoholic content of drinks of various types such as wines, beers and spirits varies considerably. For example wine commonly varies from around 9% to 14% by volume
# posted by : 3:29 PM
: 3:29 PM
"What we have seen over the past few years is the change of beers and largers being drunk in Public Houses, to these beverages being drunk in the home."
And maybe an increase in the willingness of some pubs and clubs to sell alcohol to customers who appear already to have consumed more than they can safely accommodate?
And maybe an increase in the willingness of some pubs and clubs to sell alcohol to customers who appear already to have consumed more than they can safely accommodate?
# posted by : 3:40 PM
: 3:40 PM
'Instead the government appears to be taking the easy option so as to avoid the harder and more expensive route proposed by the opposition of looking at the root causes of alcohol abuse'
Yes correct It is more difficult, here is a cycle between parents and teenagers, a sub-culture that alcohol is 'cool' and grownuply.
Whether it is simply the human condition to intoxicate oneself to get to a different psychological state ?...or can government do something?
Maybe some strong messages in schools...
Yes correct It is more difficult, here is a cycle between parents and teenagers, a sub-culture that alcohol is 'cool' and grownuply.
Whether it is simply the human condition to intoxicate oneself to get to a different psychological state ?...or can government do something?
Maybe some strong messages in schools...
# posted by : 4:33 PM
: 4:33 PM
"And maybe an increase in the willingness of some pubs and clubs to sell alcohol to customers who appear already to have consumed more than they can safely accommodate?"
Clubs do tend to promote excessive drinking with different kinds of offers. However, I know that pubs tends to loosely regulate the amount the punter has had to drink.
The big difference with drinking in pubs and at home is the social element. If you go down to you local you're more inclined to chat to friends and other punters. Pubs also provide employment and community services.
I believe that the solution is to tax alcohol so that it is substantially cheaper to buy in a pub or restaurant than it is to buy in a supermarket or club. I would also consider a change in the law to make it clear that children as young as 12 or 13 are allowed an alcoholic drink with food in a restaurant.
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Clubs do tend to promote excessive drinking with different kinds of offers. However, I know that pubs tends to loosely regulate the amount the punter has had to drink.
The big difference with drinking in pubs and at home is the social element. If you go down to you local you're more inclined to chat to friends and other punters. Pubs also provide employment and community services.
I believe that the solution is to tax alcohol so that it is substantially cheaper to buy in a pub or restaurant than it is to buy in a supermarket or club. I would also consider a change in the law to make it clear that children as young as 12 or 13 are allowed an alcoholic drink with food in a restaurant.
# posted by : 9:09 PM
: 9:09 PM<< Home
