Minimum pricing for alcohol

This is the real problem. We should be taught that alcohol is a drink that can taste great, is good for you in moderation but not in excess; and if you drink a sensible amount you will feel happy and relaxed, but if you drink too much you will feel sick and poorly coordinated.

But we're told a pack of lies: alcohol is bad for you full stop, drinking alcohol makes you violent, drinking alcohol makes you promiscuous, drinking alcohol makes you cool, drinking alcohol makes you uncool, if you have more than 2 drinks that is "binging".

NO wonder we have such a ****ed up relationship with alcohol when everyone insists on talking bull**** about it.

I'm sorry, but you are being rather naive with these ideas of yours. I'm involved in public health and simply educating people on it is not enough, are you really naive enough to think if we did what you suggested, then everyone will drink moderately? it's much more complex than that - it's embedded in our culture, how do you even begin to start to try change the cultural attitudes? because if the things you suggested were effective then you would be in the office right now.

How could I be in office? I have never run for office.

your comments no sense make.

Lets clarify things: You think telling people misinformation about alcohol is a good idea? You say you are "involved" in public health, can you outline the Home Office's stance on the main cause of late night violent crime for us?

You think the adverts on young people drinking to get drunk aren't real? The people involved in the campaign are a lot educated in the area more than you. They don't just get randomers to design ads, I think you are the one not making sense.

Also, public health isn't separate to crime, the main aim is to reduce consumption which has health implications and puts burden on the NHS

No offence, but is English your first language? I find your syntax rather hard to parse.

I will repeat my question: do you think is it a good policy to spread misinformation about alcohol to the public? Home Office studies show that it is the misinformation itself, rather than the alcohol content, that leads to violent crime in the late night economy.

I'm sorry, you seem to be avoiding my point - the pricing is actually mainly to tackle alcohol-abuse, crime might be related but that is just an additional point they have added.

Where is your evidence for this? (on spreading information that alcohol is bad etc? I believe it refers to binge-drinking only)

Also, there is no point trying to look smart by making dumb comments, resorting to ad hominem comments just shows your lack of evidence.

I'm not ad homineming you, I'm just explaining that I'm honestly struggling to understand what you are saying.

Where is my evidence for what? I have a home office report here that agrees with me that spreading lies has had a negative effect. What evidence do you have?

Why won't you answer my question?

you're saying the ''home office report'' is spreading lies, what lies? I don't recall ever coming across any report on misinforming the public on alcohol whilst studying public policies and alcohol consumption. I would like to see the evidence for you making this point - I never made any claims.

I'm genuinely interested in this report you are talking about, please could you provide me a link?

There are many theories which explain the relation of
alcohol to violence in the night-time economy and which
find support in research:
• Societal rules: some researchers suggest societal rules
about the extent to which violent behaviour may be
‘excused’ if the perpetrator is intoxicated makes them
more likely to offend when they have been drinking
(Sumner and Parker, 1994).
• Many men expect to feel aggressive and more
powerful after drinking (Abbey et al., 2001 – US) and
may drink to facilitate or excuse their behaviour.
• Violent individuals may actually seek out venues that
tolerate drunkenness and aggression (Raistrick et al.,
1999) and the presence of similar individuals may
reinforce their attitudes and behaviours.
• Many heavy drinkers expect alcohol consumption to
lead to violence (Graham et al., 1998 – Canada) and
may act on this belief.

No offence, but is English your first language? I find your syntax rather hard to parse.

I will repeat my question: do you think is it a good policy to spread misinformation about alcohol to the public? Home Office studies show that it is the misinformation itself, rather than the alcohol content, that leads to violent crime in the late night economy.

No, the home office report is telling the truth about the lies. It is not telling lies itself.



Full report here:
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.g...dfs04/r214.pdf

Also, you're link doesn't work.

I will now REPEAT why they have increased pricing of alcohol. It is an attempt to reduce binge drinking and the burden it has on the NHS.

ACTUAL EVIDENCE:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23078488

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12154648

But why does it need to be changed? Northern Europe have been doing it for thousands of years whilst simultaneously becoming by far and away the most successful and advanced continent on earth. It seems to work pretty damn well to me.

I never see anyone in my neighbourhood walking around drinking either.

No they haven't its a political stunt, they know the EU will veto it.

There is no evidence that a minimum price will reduce binge drinking. Such a notion is patently absurd.

I thought we had already established that the UK has an issue with binge drinking?



I am talking about the cultural practices and norms surrounding BINGE DRINKING in the UK.

And I'm mostly referring to pub/club drinking, and the attitudes/beliefs. I find that most people link having "fun" when they go out to being drunk, instead of drinking responsibly?

hahahahahaha :LOL: I'm sorry I must compose myself, your non-existent evidence is proof yet mine isn't when you don't feel like it.

Okay, so to clarify this debate we are having. Why do you think minimum pricing was brought in?

Political expediency.

That isn't the debate we were having though: the debate we were having was about whether it was a good think to feel lies to the public about alcohol. I don't think it is, the evidence agrees with me. You think it is, but have no evidence to back it up.

I thought we had already established that the UK has an issue with binge drinking?



I am talking about the cultural practices and norms surrounding BINGE DRINKING in the UK.

And I'm mostly referring to pub/club drinking, and the attitudes/beliefs. I find that most people link having "fun" when they go out to being drunk, instead of drinking responsibly?

Highlighted in bold, that's what you typed, yes? unless you are the one is can't construct a sentence properly.

Also, you're link doesn't work.

I will now REPEAT why they have increased pricing of alcohol. It is an attempt to reduce binge drinking and the burden it has on the NHS.

ACTUAL EVIDENCE:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23078488

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12154648

Not really. It may have done 10 years ago, but the changes to licensing laws changed that.

Talking about pub/club drinking (which is nothing to do with the minimum price debate) most people have a period of fun and experimentation when they're young then eventually grow out of it, with no lasting negative consequences whatsoever. 98% of the UK have a happy, healthy, functional relationship with alcohol.

I don't think I'd like to discuss this issue with you any further, you are too obtuse and not willing to accept you are incorrect even in the event of you being so.

If you refer to my first post I told you it was a cultural issue which is hardest to tackled drinking and not the your opinion of educating people about alcohol. The government tried that and failed, they never misinformed the public on alcohol, they never told people drinking alcohol makes you violent etc, what campaign or leaflets did so? you are misinterpreting the evidence to support your own views.