hpdw

Alcohol is being sold at "pocket money" prices across the UK, with products commonly bought by underage drinkers among the cheapest, research by a campaign group suggests.
The Alcohol Health Alliance said their findings came despite the government's commitment to tackle the issue.
White cider - on sale for as little as 16p per unit of alcohol - was said to be among the drinks bought by children.

The above is a snippet from an article in UK this morning .

Here you can buy a 1.5 L bottle of white cider for 99p ( $1.26) .

When I first started drinking about 45 years ago it was also dirt cheep so nothings changed in that respect .
Will pricing ever make any difference to the numbers of alcohol related illness or deaths ? The experts think it will , I hope it will but I doubt the pricing will change significantly enough to make any big changes .

Zanna

I can't say I've heard of this - when did this start? The Gov., have been cracking down, so I'm surprised they've let this happen
Is it maybe just in Scotland?
x

hpdw

The gov have said in the past they were going to do something about the cheep alco-pops and cider etc but its still widely available for pennies all over UK .

trachemys

The cost of drinking.

Has it ever stopped an alcoholic?

Delizadee

Not me no. It's ridiculous expensive here.

MyLoves

has the price of cigarettes ever stopped a smoker?

i truly doubt it will make any kind of measurable difference.

dox

I heard this story on the radio here in England as well.
It's not so much about alcoholics stopping or not.
Its about children starting at an early age.
'Pocket money' drink prices worry campaigners - BBC News

BTW: The price of cigarettes did help me to stop . . . long before I quit drinking.
Cigarettes could cost £15 a pack | UK | News | Daily Express

Outonthetiles

Booze, cigarettes, gasoline. They're goods subject to inelastic demand. Econ 101.

BorntoHula

The governments in the west are perfectly aware of the destruction alcohol brings. Unfortunately the booze industry is very powerful and influential. They have the kind of money that can sway public policy. They also employ many and have become a major part of the economy.

People also demand booze. If people were to stop drinking so much, the companies would stop supplying so much. The companies are only loyal to profit and don't care if people start young. Alcoholics and alcohol abusers purchase the majority of the alcohol. If you can get em hooked early, all the better for the bottom line and shareholders. Just like tobacco companies. It's a vicious cycle.

BlissWithin

Here in Brazil 1L of 80 proof liquor sells for $1.15 Now that's what I call pocket money...

hpdw

The price of booze will never be a factor in stopping an alcoholic .
Ciggarette prices certainly had a role in me stopping smoking .

My opinion .

PurpleKnight

There was talk of minimum unit prices to be introduced in the UK and Ireland.

But addiction will overcome any price in my view, people will buy whatever they need at whatever price simply to feed their addiction.

Funding into addiction support I feel would be a better use of public money!!

Gonnachange

Outonthetiles...inelastic demand and so true.

It doesn't matter if companies legally supply the booze or not people who want it are going to get it. Just like other drugs and it's why the US war on drugs has been a complete and expensive failure and why Prohibition in the early part of the 20th century met with disastrous results.