Minimum alcohol pricing is nigh

exactly.

as much as i agree with the proposal and as i said above it should go all the way and just abolish closing times, it seems strange to be going ahead with this when apparently we have to have MUP that discounts the pubs and which the proceeds go to retailers as a measure to reduce already reducing heavily, alcohol consumption because we apparently have such a problem in ireland, which if we had it wouldn't exist if we grew up annd stopped implementing nanny state nonsense similar to the catholic church shame nonsense surrounding alcohol.

a mix of thinking we are stupid, some trying to protect their own businesses and using their position to do it, and pandering to a small group at the expense of the rest of us.

the good news ultimately is that it is going to fail, it is not going to force enough of us back into the pubs and some will do what they can to get around it, but the refusal to go to the pub will be the big hit rather then any revenue loss by people shopping in the north or brewing their own or whatever they do.

If you are working class or have a low income, you shouldn't be allowed to afford alcohol, so we will put it just out of reach of a comfortable price for you (it was never 'cheap'), no matter what age you are or your situation.

But if you are a middle class or reasonably well off teenager, F*ck it, you can drink your hearts out until 6am!!

The government are just worried about the lower income peoples health. They don't care about the rest.

That was my attempt at sarcasm.

Never believed they were worried about health.

I wonder will alcohol go up with inflation when everything else goes up. I mean, it will likely go up, but will the increase be passed on to the consumer or will it still be enough below MUP that we will still have MUP prices (except Tesco).

Just on the Tesco reference, there is a bottle of French wine I often picked up for €8 in Tesco - it was never reduced, that was the RRP.

It is now €9 - the bump isn't due to MUP as it is a 13% wine.

People have been saying that since MUP came in, even before it.

Oh wait till after January then people will realize about MUP.

Oh just wait till Paddy's day then people will realize about MUP

Oh just wait till Easter.....

There is going to be no public outcry about MUP.

How so? They are simply asking for some backup of their position. How many people, how often have they seen this behaviour?

Early signs of people checking the prices in the off licences and going to the pub later than normal if going at all.

What is this based on? How has it been judged that people are checking prices in the Offy then changing their plans to go to the pub so they go later?

Not that I saw or read, in fact, I have only seen Easter mentioned as a possible time when people might take notice. But with everything going up due to inflation, it's reasonable to expect any predicted timelines to be off. My point is, that I believe there will be more made of MUP. I don't believe it is done and dusted. Time will tell.

Zero time. Absolutely no minutes spent watching.

Why? Would I need to spend time watching them to have an opinion about people being fed up as they realise the price of everything when their budgets are tightening? And more importantly, the reasons why they have gone up.

Some factors to decide whether it is well worth while for others. The length of your journey there and back. The cost of your fuel (say per 100 km). How much you spent on drink. Someone living 300 km from the border with a thirsty car might have to spend a lot more than you to achieve the same savings.

More factors. Do you use turf? Will have to go up North to buy that soon too.

If people need to buy more alcohol to justify going up, so be it. It means they have a larger supply at home, or getting it for neighbours and/or friends when they are going up. It might be easier to deal with friends explaining that they could chip in for fuel if that was an issue.

There are quite substantial savings to be made if going up there to purchase alcohol.

Surely this is unlikely to affect Ireland Off Licence prices. I am guessing it would affect all products under the Heineken brand.

It may affect the pubs though. That would be quite funny.

I wouldn't be a heineken drinker, but have bought it out of convenience the odd time. If they were to increase the price and it affected the higher MUP price, surely that would have a negative effect on them in this Country. Any rise would probably be still well under MUP.

They already increased their prices to the pubs about a month ago, as did Diageo.

No increase in the MUP will be possible in the first three years, then only every eighteen months. Unless the political mood changes and the legislation is repealed.

(3) Subject to subsection (4), the Minister may, from time to time, by order increase the minimum price per gram of alcohol for the purposes of this Act.

(4) The Minister shall not make an order under subsection (3) earlier than—

(a) in the case of the first such order, 3 years after the commencement of this section, or

(b) in the case of a second or subsequent such order, 18 months after the previous order made under subsection (3).

(5) When making an order under subsection (3), the Minister shall take into account any expert research available to him or her on the effectiveness of the introduction of the minimum price per gram of alcohol for the purposes of this Act, and shall have regard to—

(a) the rate of alcohol consumption,

(b) patterns of alcohol consumption,

(c) health-related risks caused by alcohol consumption,

(d) data from health services relating to alcohol related presentations at health facilities,

(e) other societal harm caused by alcohol consumption,

(f) the price and affordability of alcohol products, and

(g) such other matters he or she considers appropriate.

I cannot stand 440ml cans and they've turned a lot of the cheap beers into 440s now so they are no longer an option for me.

Has anyone else noticed the lack of decent 500ml beers available now? Shops might have an 8 pack of something like Carlsberg but you can't buy single 500ml cans of beer any more in most shops and there doesn't seem to be 4 packs of 500ml cans of anything really any more.

Don't know what it was like in the USSR, but this is a freedom issue not criminal one.