Charging drunks that abuse the NHS

I have to disagree slightly with Nidge on his previous point. While it does cost £5 - £6 for a bottle of beer, and £6 - £7 for the equivalent of a pint. This just means the party people get 3 sheets to the wind at home before going to the pub to meet their mates. Saying that. I did spend quite a bit of time in Norway over the last couple of years (ex-girlfriend lived in Oslo, and now in Bergen) and I don't remember once seeing a punch-up outside a bar or nightclub....

[Angua]

Originally Posted by Derek S

I'd like to see two different rates of duty for alcohol. One for drinking in the pub and another higher charge for off-sales.

Having that with a far greater emphasis on licensees having responsibility for not letting patrons get totally hammered and a minimum price per unit stopping the 3 litres for a pound type cider would do more to stop binge drinking than headline grabbing but totally unworkable ideas like this.

I would also prefer this. It would be interesting to see how much DV and other drink related drains on the NHS are fuelled by binge drinking at home.

There is a severe lack of accountability with supermarket sales vs Licensed premises. At least with the pubs etc allowing excess drinking could result in losing the licence. Whereas the worst offence supermarkets seem to be up against is selling booze for consumption by under 18 year olds.

[TheNorm]

Originally Posted by Derek S

I'd like to see two different rates of duty for alcohol. One for drinking in the pub and another higher charge for off-sales. ...

Thereby penalising those who want to drink at home with friends and family.

If someone commits an offence (drunk in public, or whatever its called), why not punish them? Why punish the majority of law-abiding citizens?

---------- Post added at 13:27 ---------- Previous post was at 13:25 ----------

Originally Posted by Angua

.... It would be interesting to see how much DV and other drink related drains on the NHS are fuelled by binge drinking at home.....

Does it matter where the drink was purchased? Shouldn't the message be "responsibility for one's actions"?

[Osem]

Originally Posted by TheNorm

Thereby penalising those who want to drink at home with friends and family.

If someone commits an offence (drunk in public, or whatever its called), why not punish them? Why punish the majority of law-abiding citizens?

Does it matter where the drink was purchased? Shouldn't the message be "responsibility for one's actions"?

Hmmmm.... punish the guilty as opposed to the law abiding...., encourage responsibility for one's own actions..... Novel concepts those Norm, do you reckon they'll catch on?

[Arthurgray50@blu]

I think a responsibility must go down to supermarkets and shops selling the booze cheap, l can buy a can of lager for 35p. in Tesco.

If the people that *need* drink to survive, and they go to the shops, and the shops know that they are *drunk* then the shop should be prosecuted, and the money given to the NHS, l have seen so many people drunk out of there skulls at 7.30am in a certain part of West London, this is what the major problem is - shops sell to make money, but if that store KNOWS who they are and that they are drunk, and sell to that drunk, then that is it.

Supermarket and shops are responsible, plus you could go as far as the Pubs, for allowing drinkers to go over the top.

[superbiatch]

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

Supermarket and shops are responsible, plus you could go as far as the Pubs, for allowing drinkers to go over the top.

When i worked in the off licence, I signed a contract to say I wouldn't sell to underage drinkers, police officers in uniform (weird I know) and those who are already intoxicated.

On more than one occasion I almost got attacked for deciding a customer was already too drunk, only for burly customers stepping in to save me I was lucky, but its not all down to those who have to decide to not serve them, surely the drinker has to take some responsibility?? Its ok saying we could call the police, but we were always graded and told an officer would be with us within an hour - they are busy people, so i'm not moaning about it.

Its about time 'we' took responsibility for what we drink and stop blaming everyone else.

[banjo]

I had to take my wife into A&E one Saturday night and had to wait hours behind abusive puking drunks they should be made to pay as their condition is self inflicted.

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by banjo

I had to take my wife into A&E one Saturday night and had to wait hours behind abusive puking drunks they should be made to pay as their condition is self inflicted.

so is cutting your finger off /slicing yourself with a kitchen knife /sports injuries etc etc. and we all pay via tax .

When supermarkets can sell a can of beer cheaper than a bottle of water it goes to show where the problems are coming from. You can go round any town in the UK at night and see people drinking alcohol in the streets bought from Supermarkets, these people include underage kids, alcoholics and the people who like to get hammered before they hit the town.

Licensees of pubs have clamped down on who they sell alcohol to whay haven't the supermarkets?? IMO the supermarkets are creating this problem by selling beer basement prices or at a loss.

The Government won't hike the price up becuase most of the brewerys are the biggest payers into the Government coffers, if they increase the prices less people will go out hence less duty, the duty will have to come from somewhere.

They are telling people to stop drinking and smoking, these two bring in billions of pounds each year in duty, if people stopped for one month this country would be on it's backside.