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'Desperate' drink moves



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According to Kenny MacAskill (your report, 6 May) Canada is drunk-free, the Spanish drink only a glass of wine with dinner and have raised taxes on some strong spirits, and the Germans ensure alcohol is no cheaper than apple juice.
From personal experience, there are drunks on the streets of Toronto late at night, and you will also need to be careful to avoid stepping on any of the many homeless rough sleepers who probably found themselves in this sad situation through drink.

Spanish consumption of wine per head is higher than ours, while spirits remain considerably cheaper than here, and of course the Germans leave us trailing in beer consumption. Mr MacAskill could also have mentioned Italy, where you are as likely to encounter a drunk inhabitant as a taciturn one.

All of which proves absolutely nothing, but leaves me with the feeling that Mr MacAskill's desperate determination to do something will result in ever more nanny hectoring, and hammering responsible drinkers with higher prices/taxes.



ANDREW KEMP

Mossbank

Rosyth, Fife



The full article contains 176 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 08 May 2008 8:41 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

Alternative (High Octane) Fuel Head,

Edinburgh 09/05/2008 01:06:16
They did it with smoking. Now they plan to do it with drinking. It is all rubbish and it is about time we stood up for ourselves and put a stop to it.
2

Thomas Laprade,

Thunder Bay Ont. 09/05/2008 06:08:43
'There is no safe level of secondhand smoke'
Do you remember that statement??

You will eventually be hearing:
'There is no safe level of Alcohol'

Alcohol is on the back burner of WHO

It will be called, 'Prohibition' drip by drip

http://smokersclubinc.com
http://pasan.thetruthisalie
3

Linda,

Edinburgh 09/05/2008 09:36:41
We need to tackle binge drinking culture. Suggest those opposed spend a weekend at an A&E hospital ward.

The main target for government is education and a ban on supermarkets selling drink as loss leaders.

This would actually help pubs and small hotels who are losing business at present.
4

Alternative (High Octane) Fuel Head,

Edinburgh 09/05/2008 11:12:58
Linda,

When you talk about addressing the "binge drinking culture" you are more or less on the right track. You need to re-word it though to addressing "the baseline problems that cause some people to abuse alcohol".

The key here is to address the CAUSE. The excessive and irresponsible consumption of alcohol is a SYMPTOM. If someone abuses alcohol there is a reason for it. Remove that reason and the abuse stops. If you try to remove the alcohol abuse, you will in effect push the subject into other behaviour which in all probability would be more damaging to society and more dangerous. Do you really want that?

Aside from that, by targetting alcohol itself, you do not discriminate between the majority of responsible people and the minority of people with a problem. In other words, you are punishing people who have done no wrong. Whilst the formulation of laws to protect people from themselves and to prevent them from breaking existing laws is a principle that has become set in stone during the stupid labour years, it is neither correct nor fair.

It seems to be the in thing to act like a moron after a few beers, rather than handling your drink like a man should. Change this culture, which could easily be done by propaganda, and you solve most of the problems associated with drink.
5

G,

Bridgefoot 09/05/2008 13:01:20
"Mr MacAskill could also have mentioned Italy, where you are as likely to encounter a drunk inhabitant as a taciturn one"

The racial steerotyping apart I have never encountered drunkeness in Italy on the scale seen in the UK....
6

Itchy,

09/05/2008 16:46:40
#5 how is that a racial stereotype?

The Italians are generally voluble and emotive people.

They obviously do not consider it a badge of honour to get smashed, unlike a lot of us over here.

BTW, why is it always the responsibility of the nanny state to solve all problems, real or imagined?

And as for 'a ban on supermarkets selling drink as loss leaders', why? This is the kind of Soviet bloc drivel that holds Scotland back.

 

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