Minimum alcohol pricing is nigh

pleasant Co.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118288612#Comment_118288612

He can't delete his posts no more than you can remember, it was probably mod deleted for having little relevance to the topic.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118288650#Comment_118288650

 it was probably mod deleted for having little relevance to the topic.

i forgot you can't delete posts anymore so that is a very likely scenario.

Hotblack Desiato

@macraignil ah, you were doing great until you got to this bit:

I liked the system I saw in Sweden which at one time had a severe problem with alcohol related deaths and they allowed sale in normal shops of any alcohol up to 3.5% strength but then had much more strictly regulated sales of anything stronger. 

A state-owned monopoly with ridiculous opening hours, high prices and poor selection is the very last thing anyone should want. 3.5% is barely beer. What this encourages is for people to just say to hell with it and stock up on spirits (because you can't risk being stuck without at the weekend when the rip-off shop's closed) which then gets drunk in a binge - and I don't mean the Irish prohibition lobby's "two pints is a binge" here

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118286237#Comment_118286237

Isn't it somewhat hypocritical that a person who is calling for a legal drug to be more regulated and to cost more is saying that those opposed only care for themselves, meanwhile this person regularly consumes and is an advocate for an illegal, totally unregulated and relatively cheap drug.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118289089#Comment_118289089

It would be hilarious if the state decided to have a monopoly on off sales of alcohol. the uproar would be fantastic.

Hotblack Desiato

The pub lobby would love it.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118289667#Comment_118289667

the supermarkets would hate it.

macraignil

I disagree, the "drinking problems" are myths from the government.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118289089#Comment_118289089

I agree with you completely and I'm not advocating the state monopoly aspect of what happens in Sweden but just that there is a separation between how stronger types of alcohol are sold compared to less concentrated types. I found 3.5% beer tasted nice and did not notice the 0.8% less alcohol content compared to the beer I would have more commonly been drinking in Ireland at the time.

The Irish government has already been reducing the opening hours for alcohol sales at all retailers in the country in recent years and now with MUP coming in they are legislating for universal high prices where due to excise and other taxes they already are at a very high level compared to other parts of Europe. I also heard they were intent on bringing in labeling regulations that would make it nonviable for a lot of smaller brands being sold here as they would need special health warnings specific to the Irish market. I'm all for less restrictive regulation of the sale of alcohol here which is already very strict in my opinion and is just another side of the nanny state philosophy that the current government think will keep them in power as they portrait any other political options as not being a safe pair of hands in running the country.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118291711#Comment_118291711

Lower strength beers may do well under the the new MUP regime. As you say some of them are quite palatable.

Just on the politics of MUP, it's worth noting that it has cross party support so a change of government will be unlikely to matter.

macraignil

I disagree, the "drinking problems" are myths from the government.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118292011#Comment_118292011

No change in government likely here from what I have seen of Irish politics. The opposition parties in this country are abysmal and if one of them had any interest in standing up for people on lower wages there could have been some chance of avoiding this legislation that's only result will be people without high level jobs finding budgeting to have some sort of enjoyment made more difficult.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118292345#Comment_118292345

I don't know if there will be a change in government at the next election.

You are correct in that MUP is particularly unfair on people with lower incomes who enjoy a drink at home.

All parties will have to explain their rationale for supporting MUP when the reality becomes clear in January.

Hotblack Desiato

It's quite simple, those who are priced out of the alcohol market will just turn to the drugs market - quite a bit of evidence of this happening in Scotland.

andekwarhola

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118283825#Comment_118283825

Wine, spirits and craft beer aren't in the cross hairs. It's macro stouts and lagers sold in slabs and the like. The kind of purchases that divert money away from garden variety publicans who don't do food or craft beer. The ones that have the ear of the government about their god-given right to have a livelihood.

elperello

There is a certain sector of the population who for one reason or another drink to alter their mental state.

One can only assume that these people will still want to alter their mental state in January when MUP is introduced.

If they can't afford the amount of drink necessary to achieve that effect some of them will turn to other sources.

We all know that illegal drugs are available in every city, town and village in the country.

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118298379#Comment_118298379

Aldi/Lidl lower end wines, wine offers, own brand spirits and offers on mainstream branded spirits are very much in the crosshairs.

Hotblack Desiato

Poitin (the real thing, not the licensed stuff) should get a boost

Esel

Home brew, wine etc. People will be blowing the head off themselves... 🤢 🤮

Suckit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118298379#Comment_118298379

They will all be affected.

andekwarhola

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118299125#Comment_118299125

Fair point. I don't really drink wine and spirits so hadn't thought of that in terms of budget deals. I love craft beers so that won't be affected but I really enjoy multiple pack stuff like Aldi Rheinbacher too which will probably double in price once this hits.

andekwarhola

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118298439#Comment_118298439

This is what so knuckle headed about it. A blunt price hike won't stop problem drinking, just increase the social problems around obtaining the money. And alcohol consumption here is generally dropping anyway. It's a typically Irish lobby reaction. React to changing markets and societal trends with brute force state intervention and patronage.

I disagree, the "drinking problems" are myths from the government.

I just came back from Dunnes Stores. The 12 pack of Carlsberg cans used to be(two weeks ago) were €16.50 on special offer and now i see that they're now €18.50 on special offer while the original price of €24 is marked out to make it seem like you're getting a deal when in fact they raised the price.

Sonic the Shaghog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118299127#Comment_118299127

Been saying it myself. Serious money to be made now. Sell a wine bottle size for say €20 at 70%+ strength and you'll be coining it

andekwarhola

I was in an off licence recently that always used to do 3 for 9 euro deals. They had a sign under the exact same shelf saying 3 euro each (3 x 3 = 9) :)

Suckit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118303417#Comment_118303417

I love craft beers so that won't be affected

Unfortunately it looks like everything will be affected, there will be bottleneck pricing which will push the prices up across the board in each section.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118303555#Comment_118303555

I'm not on Facebook, but apparently there are already loads of groups set up fancying themselves to take on the off licences. I think it started out with the Guinness Surger cans, but now they have cases of all sorts. Weirdly my friend sent me a screenshot of one of them selling Guinness Nitrosurger cans (the ones you can get here) for sale more expensive than the off licence. I'm not sure what the attraction is to their customers, unless it's delivered and at almost any time of the day or night.

I guess they will be stocking up on all of the popular ones, especially now as they are only €20 per case. When MUP kicks in, they will go up to €40.80 (Minimum). Gardai either going to ignore it, or become very busy between them and the dealers (who will also be benefitting) etc..

Capt'n Midnight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118303514#Comment_118303514

The everyday price of Aldi's 12 pack of Galahad is €8.79 / €1.47 per litre / 12 x 500ml / 4% ABV which is a lot less than €24 or €18.50 or €16.43. The difference between that and Carlsberg comprises of a sliver of excise (4% vs. 4.3%) , VAT which is universal ,too much marketing costs, and the rest is pure profit. (Cost of production would be similar given volumes and 7,000 years of brewing history)

The only purpose of MUP is subsidise publicans by increasing the cost to home drinkers so that the pub doesn't look as expensive an option as it used to be.

There are two flaws with this.

First is that the pub will still be as expensive. Anyone needing to cut back on spending may well increase home drinking instead of the few trips to the pub. (It may also increase drink driving as people who drink cheap beer may not budget for taxies.)

The Second problem is that the price goes up but the costs to supply it don't so supermarkets and distributors will be force to make increased profits (distributors will continue to screw over the publicans as sure as night follows day) and not a single extra cent will go towards health.

MUP will not change the minimum price of branded drinks or pub drinks enough to affect their consumption.

Overall this is a return to the days when censorship banned some softback editions of allowed hardback books. This is a paywall not a health measure.

Capt'n Midnight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118303646#Comment_118303646

Guinness is 4.2% , 12x500ml is 6000ml so MUP will be €19.91

€20 per case is less than 1c per can away from MUP. It's almost as if someone else had already done this calculation.

Sonic the Shaghog

Not sure about other brands but apparently Heineken plan to reduce the alcohol content to keep the same prices, which is the same difference really I suppose. That's from one of their reps that was into my local shop

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118305912#Comment_118305912

Heard the same from Molson Coors. That or smaller cans like the 440ml.

Fr Tod Umptious

People here have been banging on about boycotting pubs etc if/when MUP comes in.

Well here you are, take inspiration from the men (and it's exclusively men as far as I can see) of 50 years ago.

https://www.rte.ie/archives/2021/1119/1261957-pickets-on-liberties-pubs/

listermint

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118323883#Comment_118323883

Lol.

You've only one goal and its entirely anti alcohol and anti choice. Youve been banging your drum for years.