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This gem[/url:oiir43i5] would have us believe that alcohol is a gateway drug. I can't remember the number of times I've gone up to the bar for a pint and the barman persuaded me to have some pills and a bag of heroin as well <!-- s:roll: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_rolleyes.gif" alt="" title="Rolling Eyes" /><!-- s:roll: -->

Besides - I was drinking water LONG before I was drinking beer, and milk before that even. It all stems from the bloody milk.

It's an important step to recognise that the problem is not with the substances per se, but with poor people who wear tracksuits. Obviously, coke-snorting socialites and chablis-swilling SUV drivers need to be exempted from any government strategy since they clearly aren't the problem.

Raise the tracksuit tax, I say.

[size=75:uzx3223d]Also, I'm shamefully quite pleased that an anti-alcohol story isn't illustrated with pints of beer for a change. The sub-ed must have missed a memo somewhere.[/size:uzx3223d]

I wouldn't laugh too loud ,

You realise that at some stage they could decide that manufacturing your own beer is too dangerous . that could put the scuppers on it all . If Homebrewing starts to get really popular ( as it surely will ) the government will be missing out on a lot of tax revenue , might cause issues .

All for moderation and so on , but there is a dedicated cadre of lobbyists who have been incessantly pounding on alcohol and beers for a few years now in a concerted attempt at stealth prohibition , and if that lobby ever happens to align with political necessity of a given time strange things can happen .

&amp;quot;Wallacebiy&amp;quot;:nzafqx2c wrote: ( as it surely will )[/quote:nzafqx2c]Not while people are mostly buying lager kits it won't.

&amp;quot;Wallacebiy&amp;quot;:nzafqx2c wrote: the government will be missing out on a lot of tax revenue , might cause issues[/quote:nzafqx2c]Oh, I wish that were true. I wish the government was more concerned about the tax revenue than the publicans' income.

&amp;quot;Wallacebiy&amp;quot;:nzafqx2c wrote: there is a dedicated cadre of lobbyists who have been incessantly pounding on alcohol and beers for a few years now[/quote:nzafqx2c]Only outside pubs. They're called the VFI and LVA and no other lobby group in the country can hold a candle to them for political clout.

We won't have prohibition in Ireland.

[quote:3majevcp]
We won't have prohibition in Ireland.[/quote:3majevcp]

Prohoibition generally refers to alcohol but it can be used for other substances.

[quote:3majevcp]Meanwhile, Ms Harney announced today she is banning the stimulant drug BZP, which is available in so-called “head shops”.

Possessing or selling the substance is now an offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977.

She said: “This will now make the possession of BZP illegal and make sure that BZP is no longer available for sale in ’head shops’ around the country, which has been an issue of concern to my Department and the wider public.” [/quote:3majevcp]

I'm not naive enough to think that people will go along with the leave stuff alone if "It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg" idea. But I would like some evidence presented about something before prohibiting it rather then just 'concern'.

But some people think there might be a problem, so you have to ban it. You can't wait for evidence! By the time you have evidence it could be too late! Besides, everyone knows, if you make a law, the problem goes away and you can stop worrying about it.