To hate the government putting extra duty on booze

[Ryoko]

Every so often off they go again putting more duty on booze forcing more pubs to go under etc.

but more importantly the disproportionate rise on super strength lagers, it's completely unfair and evil, they know full well the majority of people who drink that stuff are homeless dossers, it's the government playing drug dealer, put the prices up for the dependents because you know they are not going to stop drinking it and will be forced to foot the bill.

If I was homeless, leaving on the streets in the cold begging for money, qoueing up at soup kitchens and trying to avoid getting a kick in at night, being forced into hostels full of crazy people when the weather turned cold, I know I would be spending my days pissed on Kestrel as well, it's disgusting to take away what little money they have, by over taxing the only way they have to get away from there miserable lives and picking on the vulnerable, with additional rises disguised as promoting good health.

[Ryoko]

So you think the drink of the dossers should be disproportionately taxed, when loads of people are drinking themselves stupid at home on wine?

is that simply because you can see the dossers drinking as they have no where private to go, where as all the people invisibly drinking at home can't be as big problem because you can't see them?.

[Anniegetyourgun]

Hey, as long as they don't disproportionately tax Bailey's, I'm happy.

[Ryoko]

Plus of course you can't stop someone doing something by making it more expensive (and they know that) it's just taking advantage of people, acting like legalised drug dealers, it just creates more crime as people try to get money or leads people into drinking stuff way more dodgy.

such as Hospital hand gel for example and house hold cleaners.

[BeenBeta]

The really hoped that there would be an increase in duty is to equalise the tax per unit of alcohol across all types of drink.

Histortically, wine and spirits had a much higher rate of duty per unit alcohol and beer was relatively under taxed as it was regarded as 'the working man's drink.

In my view all alcohol potentially does the same damage and should be taxed accordingly on an equal basis. I also dont think supermarkets should be allowed ot sell it at all and should only be available in licenced outlets and only to people who pay for it on a credit card to ensure it is not bought by anyone under 18.

[huddspur]

YADNBU the raising of tax on alcohol is just a way of boosting revenue as they know demand for alcohol is price inelastic

[BertieBotts]

I'm over 18 and don't have a credit card - doubt I would get one if I applied either. And doesn't that encourage debt?

[nickeldonkeyonadustyroad]

i don't think the price of alcohol has anything to do with it.
those that want to drink, will, even if their families have to suffer.

It didn't help when the government increased licensed opening hours at the pub.
it was supposed to stop bingedrinking and bad behaviour in the streets. that worked then.
and, in addition, it's reduced the number of people attending church - at this time of year- we used to get standing room only at church at midnight mass, but no the pub is open till half 12, so they stay and drink.

[gorionine]

Yes I am sure their only reason to do so is to make homeless people lives even more misearable, not at all because of health repercutions on people who abuse the stuff and the cost of it.

I think your solution OP is making a horrible situation even worse. Will it make it more acceptable to have people on the streets if they have more cheap alcohol to numb themselves with? The problem of people having to live in this situation in the first place needs to be tackled and so does the one of alcoholism. Using one problem to hide/lessen another is not the solution IMHO.

Saddly I have not got the ideal solution for either of them but I di really wish I did.

[reratio]

YANBU Tobacco and alchol are the governments favourite cashcow

[Ryoko]

Raising prices doesn't stop people, if you are addicted to something you will just beg borrow or steal to get the cash to buy it or turn to other things.

I am 100% sure the government knows this and banks on it as a way of making extra money from a captive audience, just as they do with petrol and increased transport costs, they know people will have to pay it so it's easy money.

Stick your credit cards what an awful idea why to go to make booze unobtainable by the poor, OAPs and those without the required proof of home and personal ID to get one, Booze should not be for the select few middle class who drink themselves silly at home and then end up in hospital in a few years time, we have a massive problem of binge wine drinking in this country among people who don't realise that a binge is drinking way too much in one sitting, not just people falling out of pubs on a friday night.

[longfingernails]

I would rethink alcohol taxes altogether.

Cut it for pubs and raise it for supermarkets/off-licences.

[JingleBelleDameSansMerci]

Why are pubs a good thing?

Why are businesses which profit greatly from others' dependency on alcohol and the resulting misery for their families worthy of protection?

[purepurple]

If alcohol was more expensive I would drink less. That would be good for me and my health.
YABU
As long as the money raised is used to treat those addicted and on preventation so that future generations are not dependent on it in the future.
There should at least be a minimum price in supermarkets, and everywhere else too.

[beade]

Nanny state at its worst

[RandyRussian]

State got to raise money somehow.
Dreading the next Budget

[LIZS]

yabu the "extra" tax goes (a very littel) towards the cost of dealing with the fall out of drunkenness and alcoholism - to the nhs, policing, legal and social consequences. It isn't the tax that is driving pubs to the wall or making people homeless.

[MrsGuyOfChristmasBorn]

YABU and utterly ridiculous. Govenments do have any money, they get it thorugh taxation. If they taxed something else, presumably you would find a reason to bleat about that.No-one neesd to drink this stuff, they decide it is worth the price and so they buy it.
Better taxing that than something essential, or not taxing at all and having no gvt revenue.

[cumfy]

Wonder what proportion of the strong lager demographic would have been voting Tory ?

Should just be proportional to amount of alcohol.

[cumfy]

Why are businesses which profit greatly from others' dependency on alcohol and the resulting misery for their families worthy of protection?

Because they are "part of the economy".

And that behemoth does not differentiate between £100 spent on educational books or £100 spent on alcohol/fags.
It's still £100.

[curlymama]

Extra strength lagers are drunk by people that only want to drink it so that they get drunk. Nobody buys a can of Special Brew because they are a beer connessieur. So I think it's fine that it is taxed more than wine or spirits.

[Nancy66]

I have no problem with it being taxed at ALL.