TOPIC:

"sbillings":33ezmac9 wrote: When did prices drop?[/quote:33ezmac9]From the last report we looked at:

"a_friend_in_mead":33ezmac9 wrote: Between 1996 and 2004 alcohol got 47% more affordable (p27) and only slightly more so for 16-24 year olds.[/quote:33ezmac9]

"sbillings":33ezmac9 wrote: Where did consumption go through the roof?[/quote:33ezmac9]He very disingenuously compared just two years: 1986 and 2006, ignoring the peak in 2001 and decline thereafter.

Finally catching up on the weekend's paper, I saw this[/url:1g7st0gg] on the front of the Irish Times Weekend Supplement -- Irish doctor argues against supervised access to alcohol for young people.

Whatever about his main point, I think he's spot on in saying that the continentals have a better approach to alcohol primarily because getting hammered is socially unacceptable there.

Though statements like

"Bobby Smyth":1g7st0gg wrote: [girls] are going one for one with the boys, but if they are drinking an alcopop, which are typically 4.5 per cent proof, and the boys are drinking beer at 3.5 per cent[/quote:1g7st0gg]make me question his credentials in saying [i:1g7st0gg]anything[/i:1g7st0gg] about drink culture in Ireland.

Or else his local serves Young's Bitter, and if so, I'd like to know where it is.

[quote:wvd38thw]Bobby Smyth wrote:
[girls] are going one for one with the boys, but if they are drinking an alcopop, which are typically 4.5 per cent proof, and the boys are drinking beer at 3.5 per cent
make me question his credentials in saying anything about drink culture in Ireland. [/quote:wvd38thw]

apart from anything else, 3.5% proof is about 2% abv I think. Maybe they're drinking that lovely weak cider you can get in brittany. We used to be allowed a glass of that as children. How continental!

"RichieH":owjtkwnk wrote: 3.5% proof is about 2% abv I think.[/quote:owjtkwnk]Didn't even notice that. The term "% proof" is nonsense. 3.5 proof is around 1.75% ABV, as you say. "3.5% proof" is "I don't really know what I'm talking about".

He also brings out the old chestnut that raising price and restricting availability is the only effective way to curb alcohol abuse, but feels no need to offer any proof.

Apparently having an impressive title is enough to make you right.

"Science is the belief in the ignorance of experts" Feynman