Scotland increases the minimum price for alcohol

[Skyedriver]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckg2d2kdgzeo

[Sixsixtysix]

More money for England, less for Scotland. Win/Win!

[Lotobear]

Cue even more Scottish folk driving down to Carlisle north Asda - win, win for England but won't you think about the climate

[KingNothing]

Ahhh yes, I'm sure this will dissuade the alcoholics who drink themselves to death currently.

[Ecosseven]

Will people simply buy from on-line retailers at lower prices?

[Tango13]

Ecosseven said:

Will people simply buy from on-line retailers at lower prices?

I've just looked at the website where I buy my alcohol from and there's nothing about different prices for Scotland.

[Cotty]

Ecosseven said:

Will people simply buy from on-line retailers at lower prices?

That's what I was thinking. I have had alcohol delivered by Amazon.

[Terminator X]

Beer at £1.30 minimum? Surely it's not far sale anywhere that low.

TX.

[alangla]

Terminator X said:

Beer at £1.30 minimum? Surely it's not far sale anywhere that low.

TX.

That’s £1.30 in a supermarket, not a pub. Same can would probably be about 65-70p in a big multipack in an English supermarket.

[Cotty]

Terminator X said:

Beer at £1.30 minimum? Surely it's not far sale anywhere that low.

A crate of 18 cans of Stella costs £18 at a Sainsburys. Thats £1 a can although there are only 440ml cans

[.:ian:.]

Terminator X said:

Beer at £1.30 minimum? Surely it's not far sale anywhere that low.

TX.

£2.60 a litre, a quick browse of Tesco shows plenty for under this price. Theres even a few under £2/l if you are not picky.

Bud Light "Beer effect drink" 18X440ml for £12.50


Ashfield British "Lager inspired beverage" 4 x 440ml £2.25

[alangla]

Amazon are flogging 18x440ml Carling for £11.49 delivered, so £1.45 litre, including delivery. Same strength as the reference 4% beer in the example. I’m sure a supermarket multibuy could be had for a similar price

[OutInTheShed]

How much is Buckfast, or is on free prescriptions up there?

[alangla]

OutInTheShed said:

How much is Buckfast, or is on free prescriptions up there?

Buckfast wasn’t previously affected by MUP as the retail price was too high, so this idiotic policy had the effect of making it comparatively more affordable. Whether today’s hike means it is now affected I’m not sure.

[Cotty]

alangla said:

Amazon are flogging 18x440ml Carling for £11.49 delivered, so £1.45 litre, including delivery. Same strength as the reference 4% beer in the example. I’m sure a supermarket multibuy could be had for a similar price

Its more like 3.7% this is because Molson Coors, the owner of Carling, reduced the ABV to cut tax on the product.

[Tango13]

nuyorican said:

I think I might buy a big van and start running booze up north.

300bhp/ton on here has, if I recall correctly, a black Trans Am and I'm sure he'll run interference for you to prevent any boot legging charges...

[Truckosaurus]

KingNothing said:

Ahhh yes, I'm sure this will dissuade the alcoholics who drink themselves to death currently.

I believe the number of drink related deaths in Scotland has increased since the minimum pricing came in.

Worst thing about the whole ridiculous scheme is that the extra money from the price increase just goes to the retailer, it is not like it is an extra tax that could be diverted to health care or other noble cause.

[dcb]

Truckosaurus said:

Worst thing about the whole ridiculous scheme is that the extra money from the price increase just goes to the retailer, it is not like it is an extra tax that could be diverted to health care or other noble cause.

Cynical me says it is just a revenue generating exercise and will hurt
the poor the most.

We all know self control is between your ears, not in your pocket, but
I don't expect ScotGov to care about that.

It is a big gift to supermarkets just over the border in England.

[donkmeister]

I doubt this will do anything to curb alcoholism. The only way to make it affect people's choices is to make it a significant cost, like in Singapore

However, given the laws of unintended consequences:
1) some people will just switch from frequent medium drinking to occasional heavy benders (the Scandinavian approach)
2) some people will just start making homebrew
3) some enterprising crooks will sell cheap counterfeit booze that makes people go blind

Perhaps, and maybe this is the crazy thought of a mentalist, they should do something about the horrifically depressing times we live in and the bleak future many of us worry about? The working age middle classes are the ones who drink the most (and will not notice the cost increases) because they're the ones with the most to worry about!

[andy_s]

Governments invent problems then solve them by making them worse.