Tax on booze going up

[Emu2005]

I've heard in the news today that some people are calling for there to be a rise in tax on some alcohol to lower alcohol abuse, I heard the figure 10% mentioned.

I may be wrong, but does anyone agree that raising tax on some boozes by 10% will make absolutely no difference? If someone wants to go out and get s***faced, is say an extra 20p on a �3 bottle of cider going to stop them?
These people suggesting this reckon it will cut alchohol related deaths by 1/3. I would hope they have investigated this properly, but I just seriously doubt raising tax by 10%, or even 50% would make a difference to those people who have their minds set on drinking. I doubt they would walk into a supermarket, find their favourite booze has gone up in price by a few pence and decide not to get drunk.

What does everyone else think? I do think something should be done to try and help people with alcohol problems, but this is really not the way to go and seems to me to be just an excuse to raise taxes under the guise of helping people.

I'm really interested if anyone thinks this would actually work, and why!

[Gromit]

Emu2005

Here is what I wrote earlier...

"Rising the price through higher tax is not the total solution. But it should be used along with educational campaigns".

There is no one solution. A combination of measures, including a price increase is needed.

It is pointless educating people when availability and cheap prices make abusing alcohol easy.

[Gromit]

Lucy Thomas

It is far better to stop people becoming alcoholics than to treat them when they are. Sensible drinking needs to be instilled from an early age, and that is what these medics are striving for.

You seem to be accepting the present state where 22,000 people die, because you yourself don't have a problem.

The present situation needs to change. The doctors have put forward a series of measures, higher prices being just one of them. There is no one solution. It has to be a series of measures for it to work.

[Stevee]

Should put a health tax on booze with all the money going to the NHS.

However as with every government (all parties) "incentive" this is just an excuse to tax you. As in lets put up the price of plane tickets to stop people flying - Yes lets build another runway at Stanstead and Heathrow.

[Emu2005]

Well I agree a series of measures are needed, but I just don't think this one will have any impact at all.

And in the news I haven't heard any mention of 'other measures', just this one. To me, the suggestion that this alone will cut deaths is just ridiculous.

[ruby27]

My understanding is that drug/slcohol prevention and treatement programmes cost money to run, and this is paid by the public purse through a taxation system. The suggestion is that an increased tax will result in greater revenue that then can be used to treat the problem. What is so difficult about that?

[helpmetoo]

why is everyone intent on us living longer and miserably?

tobacco has the @r$e taxed out of it now its going to be booze

we need to be practical
the population is ageing and we may well not have enough assets to support the elderly in the future

firstly it makes sense to reduce or preferably scrap these hideous taxes and encourage people to smoke and booze

a year or so in hospital is much cheaper than 20 years of public pension

[Gromit]

Emu2005

It was in the report in the link I supplied earler:

"Apart from lobbying MPs for an increase of up to 10 per cent in alcohol tax, the organisation - to be called the Alcohol Health Alliance - is expected to push for warning labels and greater restrictions or even a blanket ban on alcohol advertising."

"Alcohol Concern is pushing for a rise in alcohol tax because we believe that there is a significant body of evidence that shows that price is a key way in which you can reduce overall levels of alcohol harm."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml =/news/2007/11/10/ndrink110.xml

[ruby27]

The ever rising financial costs via taxation, do contribute to smokers wanting and suceeding in giving up tobacco.

[The Sherman]

dunno if anyone is still subscribed to this but i dont think the thought of a criminal conviction or fine will deter many from binge drinking as most people dont go out to end up in a fight (there are some i know but the most will say that it just happened) also i dont think people would be that bothered because a criminal conviction has never stopped anyone taking drugs at the weekend has it? maybe the fine idea would make people think twice not too sure on that one.


this is more a long term problem but
giving people criminal convictions would also mean more people would be unemployable and then more likely to turn to drink and more violent and then that would just add to the problem.