What are you views on the governments proposed price hikes on alcohol?

03-18-2009, 11:32 AM

They can shove it where the sun don't shine.

03-18-2009, 11:32 AM

Ridiculous.

The community pub has almost been killed off because of the smoking ban, and to put more charges on alcohol would mark their death knell.

The culture of "binge drinking" is not caused by community pubs - these have existed for over a century. Like the''Rovers Return' on Coronation Street, they are places where the community meets, chats and has a few pints.

It is possible for the person attending the type of pub that is being encouraged - to wit the food-oriented pub, to consume more 'units' of alcohol in the course of a meal than the average conversational drinker will imbibe in the course of an evening. Gastropubs are not keen on selling wine by the glass, and those wines that they sell by the glass are generally bloody awful. So one has to buy a bottle.

One starts one's meal with a Dubonnet or similar aperitif - 2 units.Half a bottle of Medoc with the main course - 8 or more units. Cognac or Drambuie with coffee afterwards - 4 units. 14 units per person.

5 pints of an average-strength bitter - say Greene King IPA - 10-12 units.

If Govt sods around with pubs much more then we will all stay at home and drink. We'll start distilling our own. We'll become a society of isolated people who cannot meet strangers in a social setting because these social settings have been, de facto, abolished.

Not all of us want to become members of the local stamp-collectors club in order to make friends; nor do we all have the means to buy an 8oz fillet steak so we can enjoy a pint of Adnams Bitter.

The problem is not with young and middle aged people having a few pints down at the local. The problem is with stand-up pubs with wall to wall din and floor to ceiling football TV selling shots, alcopops and heavily advertised foreign synthetic lagers to our youth. The problem is with corner shops selling ersatz vodka to 14 year old street drinkers.

It is certainly not with 52 year old me with my 5 pints of Pedigree and a quiet game of dominoes.

***~Tabby~*** · 03-18-2009, 11:32 AM

It wouldn't work, but i do think its a good idea. trouble is if you aim to get drunk on a sat night you will do! regardless to th amount you spend!! well thats what most people do anyway. pubs are already very expensive if you go out in a city centre (on a night out).