Alcohol costs the state €1.7 Billion a year!Call for more taxes.

Ted_YNWA

Jaycee Wooden Cobble wrote: »

The guards have to patrol the streets regardless if people are drinking or not and if they are counting this sort of thing it really is a farce.

I personally think the 3.7 billion is massively exaggerated, by billions I reckon.

Picked a figure out of their ar$e, ban alcohol completely.

Guards & Healthcare move to a 9-5 service ...... 3.7bn saved.. Happy days everyone happy ??

Need a further breakdown on these figures.

Cody Pomeray

Smithwicks Man wrote: »

1. Scrap the closing time for pubs and nightclubs that causes everyone to fill themselves with drink...

Skeptical on this... if early closing caused everyone to panic drink, surely people would just go out a bit earlier? I think many people just want to get absolutely rat arsed, no matter what time the pubs close. Closing time is an inconvenience that gets blamed for it.

Elbaston

Wont even dearer pints turn thousands of tourists away ?

Smithwicks Man

Cody Pomeray wrote: »

Skeptical on this... if early closing caused everyone to panic drink, surely people would just go out a bit earlier? I think many people just want to get absolutely rat arsed, no matter what time the pubs close. Closing time is an inconvenience that gets blamed for it.

A lot of people can't head to the pub earlier due to work etc. plus I think more people set out with the intention of drinking say 7/8/9 pints instead of just getting hammered. Having to drink these in a set time limit is the problem.

Besides, why is it up to the government what time the pubs close at? It's absolute nonsense. And if anything it's costing them money as there's less hours of employment and thus less taxes, less drink sold and thus less tax on that too and they have to pay Gardai to try to enforce this nonsense law.

Luckily my local stays open and serves until 1-1.30am midweek and 2-3am at the weekend depending on crowds. Can't imagine how much of a nuisance it would be if they were closed at 12:30 on the dot.


Why can't drink be sold in the off-licence after 10pm either? It's 9:45pm so it's grand, it's 10:15pm so it's not? It's embarrassingly ludicrous and just inconveniences people. People rushing to the offy for 10 o clock when there's absolutely no need for the law to begin with.

Smithwicks Man

Elbaston wrote: »

Wont even dearer pints turn thousands of tourists away ?

Can they get much dearer around Temple Bar? :pac:

P_1

Now now Smithwicks Man, the last thing we need in an industry rep coming on here to dispute the solidly grounded figures of the anti-alcohol lobby.

*removes tongue from cheek

dotsman

kalych wrote: »

I am sorry, maybe it is just one of those days, but I don't get what you mean by that. My point was that it is the same amount spent anyway, it is just the issue of who pays for it. If you shift the tax burden from general taxpayer onto drinkers only, the economy does not suffer, just the drinkers do, by having to stamp out the same amount of money with a smaller taxpayer base. Maybe it is Friday and I just can't think straight and do not understand your point, feel free to correct me.

Why shift the burden to drinkers? Not everybody who has a pint ends up in hospital, crashes their car or commits crime?

With regards the economy not suffering, you don''t understand how an economy works. We have a large number of people working in the services sector, our significant factor in our tourism appeal is "having a pint", a large amount of tax is generated by the sale of alcohol. Trying to kill that off to satisfy the egos of a bunch of pioneers would be extremely damaging to our economy.

Smithwicks Man

P_1 wrote: »

Now now Smithwicks Man, the last thing we need in an industry rep coming on here to dispute the solidly grounded figures of the anti-alcohol lobby.

*removes tongue from cheek

I've been found out :cool: :pac:

SherlockWatson

Of course the tax should go up to match the bill, the country is in a recession and we can't afford to be wasting 1.7bn on people who can't handle their drink.

Smithwicks Man

SherlockWatson wrote: »

Of course the tax should go up to match the bill, the country is in a recession and we can't afford to be wasting 1.7bn on people who can't handle their drink.

Can you not see that the figures have been presented in such a way so as to get people thinking exactly this? They're so inaccurate it's a joke, and it's fairly clear to see.

hatrickpatrick

tashiusclay wrote: »

It might be better to be scrapping sham's like Arthurs day etc and trying to promote a more responsible drinking culture in this country instead of just hoping, and expecting, yet more taxes will fix this issue, instead of trying to look at the root cause of the problem in the first place.
But of course this is Ireland after all, so just forget a logical effective approach to a problem...

Why should Arthur's Day be scrapped for those of us who enjoy it responsible because a minority of idiots cause trouble?

Days 298

Days 298 wrote: »

I found the the made up 3.7billion's configuration! All estimates!

ESTIMATED Cost to Healthcare : €1.2billion
ESTIMATED Crime Costs : €1.2billion
ESTIMATED Road Collision Costs: €526 million
ESTIMATED Cost of work absenteeism : €330 million

ESTIMATED Total cost to government 3.7 billion

Estimate much.....
Of course a group called Alcohol Action Ireland wouldnt be biased against drink....

SOURCE:http://alcoholireland.ie/facts/alcohol-related-harm-facts-and-statistics/

SherlockWatson wrote: »

Of course the tax should go up to match the bill, the country is in a recession and we can't afford to be wasting 1.7bn on people who can't handle their drink.

Read back a page. They are estimates from an anti alcohol group. They costs are exaggerated estimates. And the income appears to just be VAT income. Hardly a fair comparison.

galwayrush

Of course we drink so much in monetary value, it's too ****ing expensive.
A 49 euro bottle of Amarone here is 15.50 in Italy and I import it at a cost of 1.80 per bottle, see I've slashed my monetary consumption by a massive percentage.:)

SherlockWatson

Smithwicks Man wrote: »

Can you not see that the figures have been presented in such a way so as to get people thinking exactly this? They're so inaccurate it's a joke, and it's fairly clear to see.

Days 298 wrote: »

Read back a page. They are estimates from an anti alcohol group. They costs are exaggerated estimates. And the income appears to just be VAT income. Hardly a fair comparison.

My bad gentlemen, back out of the thread I go :pac:

hatrickpatrick

Cody Pomeray wrote: »

Skeptical on this... if early closing caused everyone to panic drink, surely people would just go out a bit earlier? I think many people just want to get absolutely rat arsed, no matter what time the pubs close. Closing time is an inconvenience that gets blamed for it.

Actually I can attest to the damage of early closing times, a couple of years ago when they tried to enforce a 2.30AM closing time for every nightclub it meant people drank the same amount at predrinks, but twice as quickly. Absolute disaster.

wexie

galwayrush wrote: »

Of course we drink so much in monetary value, it's too ****ing expensive.
A 49 euro bottle of Amarone here is 15.50 in Italy and I import it at a cost of 1.80 per bottle, see I've slashed my monetary consumption by a massive percentage.:)

You pay 1.80 to have a bottle shipped? Please do tell

Last time I was in Italy I brought back 2 bottles (1l) of Jamesson for less than it would cost me here for 1 bottle and the bloody stuff is made here !!!

:mad::mad::mad:

Ted_YNWA

SherlockWatson wrote: »

My bad gentlemen, back out of the thread I go :pac:

Great deductive skills there Sherlock

wexie

Smithwicks Man wrote: »

Can they get much dearer around Temple Bar? :pac:

Was in Oslo a couple of weeks ago, roughly 13 euro a pint...:eek:

Smithwicks Man

SherlockWatson wrote: »

My bad gentlemen, back out of the thread I go :pac:

:pac:

Smithwicks Man

wexie wrote: »

Was in Oslo a couple of weeks ago, roughly 13 euro a pint...:eek:

Of Vodka?

wexie

Smithwicks Man wrote: »

Of Vodka?

Nope, beer.....:(

Company was paying though

galwayrush

wexie wrote: »

You pay 1.80 to have a bottle shipped? Please do tell

Last time I was in Italy I brought back 2 bottles (1l) of Jamesson for less than it would cost me here for 1 bottle and the bloody stuff is made here !!!

:mad::mad::mad:

the shipment cost for 6 bottles are 39 euro, 12 bottles 46 euro, 18 bottles 49 euro.
36 bottles,cost me 64.80...1.80 per bottle to my door.:cool:

MadsL

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

I doubt the bolded bit is actually a 'fact', it's likely a figure they've pulled from their arses and massaged to make as big as possible.

...matron :eek:

Conmaicne Mara

Sir Humphrey Appleby wrote: »

It does, alcohol related illness, deaths, absence from work, accidents etc cost the state €1.7 billion.
That €1.7 could be spent a lot more productively, so why shouldn't those who drink have to pay for the damage it causes?

Haven't read the other five pages so this has probably already been addressed but...

It doesn't.

Alcohol abuse is the problem. Charge the abusers at point of treatment, not those who consume alcohol in a responsible manner.

a fat guy

I don't even drink and I disagree with charging more tax, mainly because it is taxed so highly already.

hmmm

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Charge the abusers at point of treatment, not those who consume alcohol in a responsible manner.

And that's just the point isn't it? Someone who has a beer or glass of wine in the evening is taxed the same as the guy who turns up off his head in ER every weekend.

What's more, the guy having the glass in the evening is probably getting up to go to work, so is already paying taxes which are funding ER guys social life.

flutered

zenno wrote: »

Why the hell should i pay more for alcohol just to pay for idiots that cannot control their alcohol intake and get sick because of their stupidity.

This is beyond ridiculous.

t

the below cost selling by the muntiblesis the elephant in the room, the finannce department has not the balls or the ability to get around it, it works something like this very simplified way, a store has 1k in revenue due any day, they loose 1/2k in selling booze the same day, so the 1/2k loss can be taken from the 1k due, now only 1/2k is due, so it is a win for the store, then it becomes a loss for the finannce dept, so the below cost selling should be stopped for years, but as i said lack of will power and cojones, is costing a fortune each day.:mad:

dj jarvis

wexie wrote: »

Was in Oslo a couple of weeks ago, roughly 13 euro a pint...:eek:

i paid 13 euro for a pint in Stockholm , and did not even get to finish it :mad:

have to say , if they drastically increased the price of beer , i would drastically reduce my consumption , end of.

the thing that will put a stop to over indulgence in a lot of people , but not all , is the price .

it is the only weapon they have.
TBH they have left it up to us to control our drinking and we have made a bags of it , we are world famous for it.

unless someone has a better idea?

hmmm

dj jarvis wrote: »

TBH they have left it up to us to control our drinking

"they" are who? I can control my drinking, what's the problem?

dj jarvis

hmmm wrote: »

"they" are who? I can control my drinking, what's the problem?

well so can i , but according to the figures , someone is drinking a **** load of alcohol, it cant be denied , this country has a problem with drink , it might not be you , but its a LOT of the people around you
what would you suggest we should do to stop the ones who are drinking too much?

nothing has worked so far