To think Scotland licensing laws are not helpful?

[bravermanclan]

I'm in Scotland, recovering alcoholic. I remember in active addiction, that sheer panic I would get at 9.30 pm. Even though I had two bottles of wine in the fridge left, I would without fail worry that they wouldn't do me till I passed out. This would result in me jumping in my car to rush to the nearest shop to buy 2 more.

Additionally, have been at houses where starting to run out of alcohol we manage to track down someone that has some that they are willing to sell for an inflated price. Once again, results in someone jumping in their car to collect it.

I visited my friend in London before I got sober, he had a 24 hour garage just down the street and we didn't use it once as the panic that we would run out of alcohol wasn't there. We knew we could go and grab it whenever we liked so didn't need to panic by.

AIBU to think that Scotland alcohol licensing is counter productive and actually increases the problems?

I have no idea what you are on about if a 24hour garage is selling you booze after 10pm they were breaking the law and that is the problem not licensing laws!

Somebody with an alcohol addiction will find their booze they will stock up doesn't matter where they live! I think in England you can buy booze till the shop closes.

I imagine this is a slippery slope to how people end up drinking knockoff home brew, hand gel etc.

I worked in a supermarket for several years and from 9.45 there would be people running full pelt through the shop to the alcohol aisles and getting extremely panicky if there was a queue at the checkout - tills wouldn’t process it once the clock ticked to 10pm.

I can see your point but ultimately YABU.

I think there probably needs to be a cutoff somewhere do 24 hour supermarkets want drunken clubbers wandering in at 3am to pick up booze?

Most people wouldn't panic buy, feel anxious or drink drive to get more drink though.

You may not feel the laws have helped you personally, but overall I think they are very sensible.

No, I don't think having some restrictions on the sale of alcohol is worse than having 24-hour non-stop access to it.

I think this is probably quite personal to you, to be honest.

I mean 10 till 10 is 12 hours to organise yourself to buy booze .

Congratulations on being in recovery - that's not easy whatsoever. I'm sure there are so many aspects to alcohol addiction -
I can slightly see your point though in that we set up safe regulated access to methadone, so it's a thought that reducing supply panic is an issue.

YANBU

The laws won’t stop alcoholics drinking. And it’s also a pain if you want to do your grocery shop early and get ingredients including booze.

No, I totally disagree with you. It is just another alcoholics excuse. Having grown up with an alcoholic father who destroyed our family I can to an extent sympathise with alcoholics but ultimately it's a choice to drink or not to.