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Labour rejects booze minimum price plans



PLANS to introduce a minimum price for alcohol in Scotland were ruled out today by Labour.

The SNP is due to publish its long-awaited Alcohol Bill at Holyrood, with a range of measures aimed at tackling binge drinking.
However, Scots Labour leader Iain Gray said his MSPs would oppose the bill's most high-profile measure - the minimum pricing.
Tory and LibDem MSPs have already declared their opposition to the move, which is also opposed by the drinks industry.

Minimum pricing ain't the answer.

Does any of the Political parties have any idea how to combat the binge drinking culture that an element of our culture seems to just accept as normal. If you disagree with an idea then is not acceptable to have an alternative plan. I have loads of young members in my family and have meet most of them and thier friends whilst I have been out socialising and to be honest the vast majority of them are far more sensible and level headed than I was drinking at that age, saying that I cant stand the taste of booze now and prefer giger or coffe.

The law of demad states that as price increases demand decreases.

After that, it's a question of priorities.

Are you an alcoholic?

If you believe the figures from the latest study of Scots' drinking habits then it would seem the likely answer is "Yes". The study has found that we drink the equivalent of 46 bottles of vodka (or 537 pints; or 130 bottles of wine) each per year - this is 25% higher than the English/Welsh figure according to the findings. It claims that the amount of alcohol sold in Scotland in the year up to September was...

...enough for every drinker over the age of 18 to exceed the weekly consumption guidelines.

and that

Average weekly sales for Scottish drinkers were 26.5 units per person over the age of 18, equivalent to about 11 pints of beer or three bottles of wine.

Note the wording "every drinker" and "drinkers" - what does this mean? Not every adult of legal drinking age surely, as common sense says to me that would be a ludicrous claim. Have they calculated how many "drinkers" there are in Scotland to support the findings of this study? If so, what constitutes a "drinker" and a "non-drinker"? What proportion of the adult population are deemed to be "drinkers" I wonder.

Someone must be getting absolutely and permanently guttered on the majority of my share (plus their own share of course) - I don't drink anywhere near that amount! I doubt I've even got close to 10% of that figure in a single year; even 5% would probably be pushing it for an average year. I'm not a regular drinker (or at least not a regular "binge drinker") though, so I suppose I might not be a "drinker" and therefore irrelevant in terms of the study findings.

I can count on one hand the number of people I know on a personal level who I think come remotely close to that level of alcohol consumption. There was one old soak I used to work with who probably blows it out of the water but he was undoubtedly an alcoholic - it showed in his drinking patterns, behaviour and appearance. Then again, maybe I'm simply unaware of how much some of my acquaintances drink. For example, a colleague of mine was talking to me about wine recently and commented how he and his wife regularly ("most nights" were his words) drink a bottle of wine (or more sometimes) between them; I was genuinely shocked as I would never have guessed that he drank that much.

We all know there are plenty of people out there who regularly drink to excess but, as a nation, are we really as intoxicated as this study (and others like it) suggests? Or, to put it another way, are we THAT much worse than other countries of similar culture? I'm not saying we don't have a drinking problem but I'm not convinced that it is as bad as is made out.

How many of you would say (or admit) that you drink to the levels being suggested by this study? I don't mean occasionally exceeding the weekly recommended limit - I mean in terms of annual consumption. I'm guilty of exceeding the weekly limit myself sometimes (though very rarely) but I have to say that I would consider anyone who meets (or exceeds) the annual figure to have a drinking problem.

Is this all just propaganda for the Minority Pricing Lobby? How many of you support the concept of minimum pricing? I don't have a particularly strong leaning in either direction to be frank. I don't think minimum pricing will greatly deter the real problem drinkers (alcoholics; violent drunks; those below the legal age; etc) from drinking and I doubt it would have a significant impact on my life. I'm not going to be affected by restrictions on the sale of cheap booze or the supermarkets' special offers as I've never been one to buy cheap booze or to buy large quantities.

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/scotland-wakes-up-covered-in-piss-again-201001182386/


DAily M*sh sums it all up nicely !

:) that's just brilliant - and so true!!!!

Brawl pub is closed on the spot

One of Glasgow’s busiest bars has been forced to close in the city’s first example of the instant sanctions now available to authorities from Scotland’s new alcohol laws.

The Sports Cafe in Sauchiehall Street has had to shut for a fortnight following a major incident where two men were left seriously injured after a fight involving pool cues and glasses.

The incident that sparked the suspension occurred late last October when a major fight broke out at the venue’s pool table involving around a dozen men, which left two seriously injured.

I suppose councillors' definition of instant is somewhat different from everyone else's.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/brawl-pub-is-closed-on-the-spot-1.999997

Which government? (Rhetorical question, kind of.)

I think its the same Government run by a party whose executive has him as a member. His views on gay rights and Catholic Schools were OK for a councillor but not for a candidate in a parliamentary by election. I doubt this man has ever drank in a pub within his own ward.

Ah right, fair enough. I was just wondering if it was a response to some noises in the news from cousin England about minimum pricing - though come to think of it, it might have been N.I.C.E. thinking aloud. In any case, I guess the Councillor is indulging in what my dear ma used to term 'opening your mouth and letting your belly rumble'.

I had right good gigle at reading this from the GCC website earlier.

Wednesday 31 August 2011

Council Leader announces package of measures to tackle Glasgow's booze culture

A range of tough new measures are being introduced in Glasgow to combat the city’s alcohol problem.
The zero-tolerance approach includes a dedicated police task force to carry out enforcement operations across the city, plainclothes police officers on public transport, child protection referrals to social work and a new multi-agency intelligence group.
Discussions are also taking place on a new community payback scheme as an alternative to prosecution for alcohol-related offences.
The measures, unveiled today by Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council, and Strathclyde Police Chief Constable, Stephen House, are among the outcomes of the Joint Action Group on Alcohol.
It was established in June to look at initiatives that could be implemented to tackle problems associated with underage drinking, binge drinking, problematic drinking and noisy or anti-social parties.

Dedicated alcohol task force: Made up of police officers working with the council, Glasgow Community and Safety Services, Glasgow Housing Association and Strathclyde Fire and Rescue, this group will draw on the intelligence from the tasking group to carry out enforcement operations across the city.

Multi-agency tasking group: This group will share intelligence about problem premises, retailers or people and ensure that tough measures are taken to address problems.

New community payback scheme: Discussions are taking place with the Procurator Fiscal in order to offer an alternative to Fixed Penalty Notices. This will see those who commit alcohol related offences carrying work in the communities affected by their actions.

A zero tolerance approach towards individuals involved in alcohol-related crime and antisocial behaviour and rogue or problematic premises which flout the law and which cause crime and nuisance. These can include community off sales, clubs, domestic premises and drinking dens.
Tenancy warnings: Visits to parents to warn them of dangers to their secure tenancies where their children are causing problems.

People involved in alcohol-related anti-social behaviour will get one month to change their
behaviour before strict enforcement begins on October 1 <nearly fell aff ma seat laffin @ that.

along with the phased implementation of the initiatives agreed by the group.
Speaking at a visit to Peterson Park Post Office & General Store in Yoker, which is backing the initiative, Councillor Matheson said: “People who cause booze-fuelled misery in our communities must change their ways and they must be made to pay for their actions.
“The new measures announced today are designed to show we are serious about tackling Glasgow’s drink problem. Ordinary, decent people, including the vast majority of the licensed trade, are fed up with the misery caused by booze and we’re standing up for them.
“People need to take responsibility for their actions, whether it’s parents who have no idea what their children are up to at night, or shopkeepers who sell alcohol to kids, or the people who come into Glasgow at the weekend and make a fool of themselves after binge drinking.

“They’ve all got a month to change their ways, and then we are cracking down.”

Chief Constable House said: “When we sat down to begin our work two months ago, we said that we wanted to find measures that were practical, enforceable and would make a real difference to people in our communities. I believe that we have done just that.

“I have no doubt that the key to lasting change is for all parts of the city to work together to identify problems and to then work together to tackle them. The multi agency group that we have established will allow us to gather every available bit of intelligence on the people who are causing misery so that we can take swift action against them.

“This is not us going to war with the licensed trade. I have said time and time again that the pubs and clubs in this city are, in the main, well run, safe places to go. I am sure that the licensed trade will welcome the measures that we are announcing today. They will recognise that what we are trying to do is work with those who act responsibly and punish those who don’t.”
In addition to the measures outlined above, the group agreed to support and roll out the following initiatives in the weeks ahead:

Chill Out Hour < Partyyyyy

In an effort to address the number of people leaving pubs and clubs at the same time within Glasgow City Centre, we will be working with several premises in Glasgow to introduce a chill out hour. In essence this will result in identified premises being allowed to operate for an additional hour every Friday & Saturday evening (0300-0400hrs).
This extended period will see premises play softer, calming music and sell hot, fast food to their patrons; in addition patrons will only be allowed to purchase soft drinks or be given water during this extended hour. This approach is expected to allow people to become re-hydrated, reduce queues at fast food outlets and taxi stands


SOS Bus

The SOS bus will provide first aid and act as a point of reference for any lost people to meet up. In addition this facility will accommodate individuals who may be in need of pastoral care; this will be provided by the Street Pastors on duty.In addition, individuals who are found to have consumed too much alcohol and in need to shelter, this bus will act as a temporary accommodation until they are in a position to look after themselves or indeed until someone collects them.

A joint enforcement team will carry out a period of information sharing, training and warnings for the licensed trade in September 2011 before enforcement begins on October 1.

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