Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

If the price per Unit of alcohol becomes fixed at 50p per unit does it mean that a pint of Stella will be £1.35?

Work out your alcohol units for yourself with this handy sum: Strength (ABV) x Volume (ml) ÷ 1000 = No. of units.
E.g. Pint of Stella - 4.8 x 568 ÷ 1000 = 2.7:confused:

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

its a minimum so a can(just short of a pint) would be

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

Minimum means what it says - you will be charged more than that.
This move to minimum unit pricing is to stop supermarkets from (almost) giving the booze away as 'loss leaders'

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

The new law will mean that the pub & club trade will be cheaper and the industry will at least have a chance to survive its the been on the main factors of the demise of the trade, People staying at home drinking cheap bottles before going out then when out they dont spend anything...... However like anything i am sure someone like tesco will find a loop hole something like spend 50 quid get a case of beer for 12 quid or something like that, these multi nationals will have people working on this right now

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

i dont think they could do that as it would still be selling one for less, they could possibly give it away? so 2-4-1, but lots of clubs do that.

how will it make pubs and clubs cheaper?

it will make them more comparable, but i dont see how cheaper.

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

Well - it would only be in Scotland initially - and it may get thrown out anyway...

Bulgaria objects to minimum price in Scotland | Daily wine news - the latest breaking wine news from around the world | News | decanter.com

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

So would there be anything wrong with spend £100 and get 24 beers free?
As for clubs doing two for one, don't know of one (often see supermarkets doing similar) clubs used to do cheaper beers, I don't go in them often these days because their beers are always more expensive than the pub around the corner.

:(

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Tesco's expensive for booze. You need to go to ASDA.

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I'm sure there is some rule about giving away alcohol, I know I give free shots out, but that's me not the licencee, but something about advertising, could be wrong

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The problem with all this is it is yet another example of government being unable to find a solution to a problem (binge drinking) and so punishing everyone for the actions of the minority. It reminds me of being at school when the teacher made everyone stay behind in class after school because two or three idiots misbehaved. I hated it then and I hate this idea now.

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

Lol I was one of those idiots

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Ooowuddathowtit?

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

Apparently the over-65s present quite a problem these days.

BBC News - 'Do I drink too much?', asks Joan Bakewell

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

but as I have said before I have grown up since then.

(see what i did there)

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And there's a problem with that? I just don't see it:confused:

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

One could always get creative and make home brew ... all you need is a pressure cooker, some copper tubing, and a cold water tap ... bingo, white lightning:alright: This cuts out the middle man and the tax man.

Maybe a good idea not to light a smoke or a joint while drinking the stuff.;)

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

Why should I change the habit of a lifetime:D

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Why indeed. If it's worked for a lifetime, it's gotta have something going for it.:D

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Tried moonshine in the US and poteen in N. Ireland, and whatever it was called in the Hebrides, it was also the staple drink in Saudi - called "siddique" (friend). Mind you it was always necessary to know and trust the supplier - basic rule was nrver buy from a blind man:D

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

But a lot of these people were not lifetime drinkers but had turned to drink later in life through loneliness, bereavement, time to kill, whatever... and really were drinking to excess.

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If they've got to over 65 they haven't been drinking too much! If they want to drink a bit more now then leave them alone, they haven't that long left to enjoy themselves and who wants to live forever in a care home, drugged up to keep you quiet and lying in a wet bed?
'It would save 50,000 lives over a decade'. Rubbish, some of them might live a bit longer but they'd still die.
If you can go out regularly and drink in pubs/clubs until 2 or 3 in the morning until you can hardly stand up a few pence on a 'tinny' at home doesn't matter to you. It won't work, just more do-gooders telling us how to lead our lives.

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

i wonder how much of this is driven by the breweries?, would they profit more from creating more footfall in bars, drinking their product, or will it balance out the loss of domestic drinking, i once read that a bottle of wine is £5, and after all the costs hardly anything for the producer, but from £5 upwards the producer gets more, ie why most £5 is crap but one at £8 a lot better.

we are told its the nanny state, but is it? is it just not another way to try and save one of our ailing industries, that after all said and done (the cost of policing, health, yaddada)creates revenue, a revenue that cant afford to be lost by any government.

people will stay at home to watch football on their sky tv, and smoke as much as they want, and drink draught beer from a can, at a 3rd of the cost of a pub pint, whilst talking to their mates on Skype for free, how do you compete?

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

John Smiths Mild is £1-60p a Pint in Ossy Social Club, bitter is £2, not sure what prices are like overall as I ain't been out that often, but I believe that's quite cheap on today's prices

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

Ya a bit like banning smoking in pubs a sledge hammer to crack a nut, there was nothing wrong with smoking rooms, and I'm a none smoker

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

Cashy doesn't drink and he's not that old anyway:D

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

Once tried poteen Barrie, wow now that is rocket fuel, its defo light the blue touch paper and stand well clear when you've been using that stuff :Banane10::Banane10::Banane10:

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

Some of them weren't enjoying themselves. Drinking a bottle of vodka a day at home on your own cannot be good for anyone.

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

Crikey Moses thats dearer than petrol or diesel,
all it is barley n hops thats gone mouldy, an 95/97% of what yu get is tap water any way, you must be wrong in yer eads.
Why is there a difference in price between bitter, mild or lager, and what ever else is made from barley, wheat and hops.

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

Not half! Actually it's a bit over half pub prices in some places but it won't be long before there's a £4 pint.

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

Just got round to reading this, as I had a hangover earlier on. Who the hell is this interfering, holier-than-thou do-gooder to start lecturing us old gits on the perils of drink? If she thinks she's drinking too much, then it's up to her to cut down, but don't start telling the rest of us what to do.

If I want to go on the lash, I'll go on the lash and no toffee-nosed, upper-class busybody is going to stop me! :Banane35:

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

When buying Jim Beam Red Stagg(my fave drink now though not allowed it :( ) I look at mysupermarket.co.uk rather than walking to and fro the asda/tesco. See where it is cheapest :D

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

yeah its nice is poteen .. especially when they flavour it ... had some very nice peach flavoured ... actually managed to bring some home ...in a lemonade bottle ... :p:p:p

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

Incidentally, while we're on the subject of booze, when in Liverpool, may I recommend the Baltic Fleet, down by Albert Dock. A great old-fashioned pub and they brew their own ale...cracking stuff it is too! Spent a very convivial afternoon in there yesterday.

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Don't knock it until you've tried it, he slurred at 09.24 A.M.

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

Well said Wyn, exactly my thoughts. I think these do-gooders should keep their noses out of my business and concentrate on their own problems - eveyone has personal problems of some magnitude, large or small, so deal with them, and leave other folk alone:thepint:

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

Nice one Wyn:D

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Thing is mate wi people like her, They are well past sell by date n have to do summat to draw attention. in other words sad owd gets.:rolleyes:

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

Used to brew wine and beer years ago (when I had a cellar), never had so many friends in my life. People were always calling round for a chat, at least that's what they said.

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

When is the time to kill?

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Agree with that totally. :alright:

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I once tried scrumpy in Cornwall. When I came to the holiday was over and my wife and kids had been home three days. Had to walk home but at least it cleared the hang-over.

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

One of the most famous pubs in the world by all accounts.

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

They didn't ban smoking in pubs they banned it in the workplace, health and safety.

So why can't they have an opt out clause, for workers who don't mind?

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

It's a strange thing this "bad habit" idea. The government (of any persuasion) wants to ban smoking (as it has done in the work place) and is trying, supposedly, to curb people's drinking through this latest bonkers idea. The problem is that the revenue raised by alcohol and smoking is immense. We all know this. The whole thing smacks of pandering to the chattering classes and "being seen" to do the right thing.
The fact is if there were no smoking and alcohol consumption where would the economy be? We wouldn't just lose the revenue, hundreds of thousands would be out of work and claiming social and the revenue from their income tax would also be lost.
So many of the "bad" things that we are warned about keep the economy afloat. The same is true (even more so) of crime. We all hate it (apart from those in it) but if there were no crime the economy would be in melt-down. If you consider all the crime related legitimate jobs (police, security, jails, cctv companies, legal firms, courts, alarm companies, etc.) we'd be in a hell of a mess without it.
Kinda strange when you start thinking about it, isn't it? The economies of most countries in the world are heavily reliant on that which is bad for you or illegal.
I'm a life-long non-smoker by the way.

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

The argument that governments make, esp. in countries such as yours and mine, is that smoking, drinking too much, etc. puts a strain on the public health care system.

However, in general, I don't see it as the function of governments to spend too much time and energy worrying about legal vices. Smoking is legal, so are drinking and gambling (legal, but controlled). I'm sure that there are things that governments can concentrate more of their time and effort on ... the economy comes to mind, so do corrupt politicans. It's a "nanny state" thing ... I think that's what you guys call it. And I can't stand the holier-than-thou moralist assholes who have somehow convinced themselves, and try to convince others that smokers, drinkers, gamblers etc. are somehow morrally inferior. They are not.

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

Whoa hang on, I drink, smoke and if given the chance of a sympathy thrutch, fornicate, I've been doing all three for a ridiculous number of years and no-one has ever offered me encouragement, are you trying to tell me that I shouldn't feel guilty because some busybody stranger wants to rule my life and insists that I stop?
:confused:

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

As well as all the points you mentioned, it seems like the government want people to live forever, yet they moan about how they are going to find enough money to pay the pensions that these folk would get.
It is all fascist meddling as far as I am concerned...and I neither drink(well, so little I consider myself to be a non-drinker) or smoke, so I have no axe to grind....it is just another way for them to dip their greedy mitts into out wallets.
they will tax fresh air if they can find a way to measure who is taking most of it.

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

No, they will always manage the figures so that the poorest of our society pay the most.
:(

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

HBC had a meeting this week. After 30 minutes spent chatting about the government plan to price alcohol at 50p per unit, they voted to agree with the government...Like they'd have a choice?

During their chat, Councillor Pam Barton said that alcohol prices are currently 44% less than in 1980, now I paid around 65p for a pint back then, which would mean Pam is currently paying around 37p at her local, anyone know where she drinks? And an arrogant Britcliffe said that most people don't know what a unit is..(kinda surprised he didn't use the word 'plebs' instead of people)

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

At least PB said 'most people' and not '75% of people':rolleyes::D

The concept of a unit is flawed. The effects of alcohol can vary tremendously between people and even vary in each individual, depending on whether it is taken on an empty stomach or a full one.

The people who enjoy the mind numbing effects of excess alcohol will just choose to eat less and drink the same.

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

Of course we know what a unit is.

1 unit is the equivalent of a full bath.
A full bath can be divided equally by six sacks of coal.
I haven't had a full unit in years, have you seen the price of coal?

As a member of the great unwashed I'm lucky if I can store more than two sacks in my bath at a time.

:rolleyes:

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

Agree with that!
The idea of a "unit" being some kind of universal yardstick is a total nonsense. We all (or nearly all) have an idea of when we are being affected by alcohol in an adverse way and it varies massively. I am probably pretty average but I know that I could drive competently after 3 large glasses of wine in the evening (before anyone asks I don't drink if I have any alcohol at all) because I know how I feel even though technically I'd be "over". I am used to wine and know how it affects me. If, however, I had a pint of beer in the afternoon (technically legal) I wouldn't even dream of trying to drive because it affects me completely differently.
How you handle alcohol depends on food intake, body size and mass and even gender (apparently). Even the time of day affects me and I'm sure that doesn't just apply to me. I used to know a man-mountain of a builder who could down 10 pints of beer in no time and he wasn't even drunk.
Who has the right to say what is correct for all when it is so obvious to anyone with half a brain that you can't press everyone into a procrustean bed of uniform conformity.

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

Seems like yet another group is singled out for drinking too much...

BBC News - Warning over middle class parents' alcohol habits

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

Aye, nowt worse than careless folk with more money than sense.
I'd rather be a skint peasant or an aristocrat on my uppers than someone that needs to drink beyond their means.
:(

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

And this ladies and gentlemen is what everything is based on...

Sheffield Alcohol Policy Model - Research - Sheffield Alcohol Research Group - Research - Public Health - Sections - ScHARR - The University of Sheffield

Research my backside..it's guesstimation by a bunch of esoteric freeloaders who can't hold down proper jobs.

Let me tell you what my on the street research tells me...

1. Binge drinkers get lashed on alcopops and shots, NOT cheap strong lager from supermarkets. Alcopops and shots cost way more than 45p a unit.

2. The people who drink cheap strong lager are, in the main, underage kids and people on a low income. There is already a law in place for underage drinking, which is rarely enforced, except as a votecatching photo opportunity (CANsafe) for politicians.

3. Friday and Saturday night casualty departments are not full of the results of drunken fights caused by £3.99 bottles of plonk from Asda. They are caused by people who think its acceptable to have a few to drink and go and pick a fight every weekend.

4. A saving of £3 by buying 24 cans at once instead of buying 8 cans on 3 different journeys reduces my carbon footprint, it doesn't encourage me to knock back all 24 in one session.

Conclusion
I'm a responsible drinker, this won't affect me all that much. If I was a binge drinker it wouldn't affect me all that much. If I was a low income hard worker or a pensioner, this would affect me greatly.

Education and awareness is what is needed. Drink driving was once thought acceptable until the hard hitting campaigns, strict enforcement of the law and severe punishment for transgressors. This is the way to go with binge drinking...make it socially unacceptable.

Stop punishing the innocent and letting the guilty go the next morning with a slap on the wrist!

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

I drink very little alcohol, but I think this is the wrong approach and penalises the wrong people (as Guinness has said in his post).
A lot of young people go out to get drunk...not to have a good time, not to enjoy banter with friends...but just to get drunk.
How do you stop this.......well, the first thing would be to take the alcohol licence away from all supermarkets.......give it back to the selling out shops....and perhaps the off sales in public houses. Go back to the licencing hours that were in place before somebody thought to 'continentalise' us with all day drinking.
It is no damn good thinking that giving free rein to the sale of alchol will produce the same kind of drinking habits that are enjoyed on the continent...the whole culture is different.

Guinness you are right, this penalises those responsible drinkers on a fixed income...and will do little to prevent binge drinking,alcohol fuelled violence and hospital admissions.

I'm fed up of governments trying to be my conscience, my nanny.....trying to tell me how to live my life......and in the process, removing more money from my pocket(which will find its way to Rwanda or the EU coffers).
It is high time they got on with the job of sorting out the economy, the EU,fostering some confidence in business, dealing with unemployment and other pressing issues - except, these are all much harder to solve aren't they?

Re: Alcohol - Price Per Unit
 

Fully agree with what Guinness has pointed out - research by a bunch of academics who have probably never lived in the real world.
This minimum price will not affect me too much and nor will it affect the binge drinkers/drunken yobs, of both sexes.
What would have a considerable affect is more rigid enforcement by the police and realistic sentencing by the magistrates and judges - put them into prison for a minimum period and bring back Borstals for the ones too young to go to into adult prison.

However, looking on the bright side, the supermarkets could well cut prices on beers to use them as loss leaders to encourage more people to go and do their normal shopping there - some hope maybe, but why not be an optimist?