Minimum Alcohol pricing to be signed into Law

You are missing the point the price did not "go up" in the normal sense ie. increased production costs, transport charges etc.

The price has been artificially inflated by legislation.

Ordinary people drinking modest amounts do not need to reduce their consumption or be forced to pay more.

Consumption has been trending down anyway, including over the pandemic, so if that continues it may not be due to MUP - correlation does not equal causation.

Have to laugh at Off Licences being the source of the problem - back in the 80's one of the pubs in my rural village homeplace was known as "The Clinic" due to those queuing everyday waiting on the opening to "cure" their shakes.

I'd love to know how they afford it!

Did anyone see the MUP discussion on Prime Time - for once, pretty balanced. The former alcoholic guy wasn't in favour of it and made some very good points about how it ignores the realities of addiction, and more services are needed. The students' union president spoke very well as well.

AAI basically didn't have a clue what to do when other people were actually allowed question them and contradict their lies. That never happened on any of the dozens of RTE radio talk shows they've been on over the years, it was always just them and the host and some soft questions.

Disgraceful though that the first time RTE even try to have some balance on this issue is when the legislation is already in place, enacted, commenced, and the higher prices are already in place in the shops. It's "safe" for them now to allow MUP to be questioned, because it's too late. Fúcking RTE 😡

Exactly. They're a broadcaster, not a political lobby and not supposed to be a mouthpiece for a lobby group, vested interest, or political view. But that's exactly what they've been doing for years whenever the MUP issue was being "discussed"

There was no resistance because most people were either not aware of MUP or not aware of its implications. Maybe they naively didn't think that our legislators could be bought so cheaply.

Early days I know, but those mentioned above seem to be the main increases in Tesco. The rest of the craft range haven't changed. Early days I know, but the crafty (rye river), porterhouse and Brú beers were the same price as before Christmas in Lidl.

Last 6 words in your post is what this is all about

"When beer is cheaper than water, it’s just too easy for people to get drunk on cheap alcohol at home before they even set foot in the pub."

• David Cameron

"BEER is cheaper than water in many Irish supermarkets. Consumers can buy a bottle of beer for as little as 50c while a small bottle of water can cost over three times that amount."

• Beer 'cheaper than water' in shops - Independent.ie

"It is more expensive for young people to buy cinema tickets or bottled water than alcohol and tragically, large numbers of young people binge drink, usually beginning underage."

• Royal College of Physicians Ireland
• MUP-info-guide.pdf (rcpi-live-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com)

You clearly supported hitting people in the pocket.

Own it.

But the recovered problem drinkers I've heard comment on MUP say it won't address that. Biggest impact will be on their (and their households) food consumption, their landlords rent payments etc. Zero impact on their drinking.

Would people really be content if an excise increase was applied?

I think even more people would be up in arms.

I'm not in any way defending MUP - it just doesn't make sense to me - but the argument, "it should have been a tax" isn't a genuine one unless you want alcohol prices to increase, imo. Be careful what you wish for.

From where I see it, Ireland has one of the highest duty rates in the EU, already and has falling consumption rates. I don't see a need for higher prices.

I think we need a cultural shift where drunkenness isn't socially acceptable and normalised. A society where, routinely, drinking 8 pints or more is not considered moderate or reasonable drinking. A society where grown adults don't boast about how much they drank and the idiotic things they did. A society where an ability to consume vast amounts of alcohol isn't awarded with a badge of honour and near mythical status. Paddy Pintman etc.

I think most Irish people actually drink in moderation and that number is growing but we need to stop celebrating alcoholism. We should help people struggling to control their intake, not encourage them. Much more help and education.

Whoa, that turned into a rant!

Whoever along the chain is the strongest I'd say.

So the supermarket in the case of supermarket sales - the brewer/distributor for independent off-license sales - and a bit of both in the case of the bigger off-licenses with multiple outlets.

Government get the vat.

But mostly the retailers and drinks suppliers.

Agreed and MUP doesn't put one extra euro into treatment and education.

pandemic where we cannot even stand close to anyone...

Gov introduce gates which need to be opened by hand to drinks aisle - CLOWNS

closes pubs for public safety so ppl stuck having a few at home, so lets introduce MUP - MUPPETS

Lack of people taking to the streets in the middle of a covid wave is really being used to say people aren't annoyed? I guess that's AAI logic summed up.

Government, opposition and AAI all lied through their teeth to get MUP through.

Pocket money prices

Beer as cheap as water

Only affects strong drink

Only affects problem drinkers

etc. etc.

But the jig is up now we have been in the shops and seen ordinary drinks that we all buy gone up because of MUP

seeing is believing and now that ppl see it for what it is there will be hell to pay I hope

Of course. As any half decent stuff was above mup and does not change.

Only dirt and highly promoted loss leaders are affected.

But the anti brigade hone in on the few drinks that are no longer being sold at dirt cheap below cost prices that encourage overdrinking and the myriad of issues that comes with

Absolutely untrue.

Go into any supermarket and you will see all kinds of drinks have been affected by MUP.

You said -

Having a low tolerance for alcohol is not actually a bad thing. I personally am delighted I'm on my ear after four pints rather than eight like used to be years ago.

We really need to take a good hard look at ourselves when it comes to alcohol.

What's this "we" ?

There are people who drink too much and they clearly need to take a good hard look at themselves.

The rest of us who drink sensibly just need to be left alone to get on with our lives.

MUP is a blunt instrument which hits us all.