TOPIC:

How do you define an alcopop though? A sweet alcoholic drink? I mean, won't people just get vodka and coke or whatever instead?

I'd be in favour of banning spirits for under 21s (not sure what strength I'd call that), for the simple reason that every time I or any of my friends get really badly messy it's always down to spirits. It's a lot less easy to get that bad with beer or cider or whatever.

Customs and Excise have "sweets", which is what we call alcopops, defined like this:

Made Wine (Sweets) means any liquor exceeding 1.2% vol. but not exceeding 22% vol. obtained from the alcoholic fermentation of any substance or by mixing a liquor so obtained or derived from a liquor so obtained with any other liquor or substance but does not include beer, wine, grape must in fermentation or with fermentation arrested otherwise than by the addition of alcohol, cider, perry or spirits and any reference in the Customs Acts or any instrument relating to customs and made under statute or in the statutes which relate to the duties of excise and the management of those duties or any instrument relating to the duties of excise and the management of those duties made under statute to “Irish wine” or “sweets” shall be construed as reference to “made wine” (S.I. No. 394 of 1992).

We're far too fond of banning things in Ireland. Be careful what you wish for...today it's alcopops, tomorrow it's beer over 4.3% ABV.

Give people information, then give it to them again and again and again. Eventually the message gets through.

Oh I agree. Bans rarely help matters. There is almost always a way around them and that usually involves losing what control we have over the banned item and criminals taking over. I was really just interested in whether other people think there would be support for such a ban. I didn't mean to imply my own support.

If there was a 'thumbs up' style option on this forum drinkstore and silenus would be getting several now. A ban might not work, although I would support one, but off-licences and pubs that have self imposed 'bans' should be highly commended (for what it's worth).

Another danger with age restrictions on different alcoholic beverages is higher alcoholic beers will be next to be hit. What if the 18 year old who is only allowed order beer gets hold of a six pack of Tokyo*? Would strong beers then be restricted?

I'm with Diablo on this: first they came for the alcopops, and all that. I think it's great when retailers refuse to sell them, but forcing it is unlikely to help.

"muirgheasa":2oxsojcp wrote: every time I or any of my friends get really badly messy it's always down to spirits.[/quote:2oxsojcp]This is the heart of the issue, IMO. Taking away their access to spirits (even if it were workable) isn't going to stop them getting messy. Making them realise that getting messy, on anything, is neither big nor clever is what needs to happen.