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This new expert group that was on the news wants a ban on alcohol promotion in sports & a 9pm curfew alcohol advertising on Irish television and radio. As well as minimium pricing and a "social responsibility” levy.

They said average irish consumption of alcohol is 11.9 litres of pure alcohol or 482 pints each or 125 bottles of wine or 45 bottles of vodka. This is what they assume we all drink. Remember to the goverment a 1/2 pint @ 4.3%ABV is a "standard drink" and you are supposed to only drink 17 of the a week or you are a binge drinker.

I will leave to people who can type better to express their views on this as I mostly will rant at the goverment wanting to double tax a already overpriced drink. Prohibition is classed as one of the stupidest things america ever did, if it starts here we will be even more stupid than normal.

I think they are actually delusional. Drink is already much more expensive here than the rest of europe so clearly price is not the problem.
Maybe they want to encourage an ilicit alcahol trade, just like the drugs trade?

They're going for the soft target as actually addressing the underlying social issues that is so long ingrained would be political suicide (although they're doing a good job at that in other areas).

Link to an article posted by the Beernut, you don't have to be a sociologist to know that the arguments put forward about the British drinking culture are equally relevant to Ireland.

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Remember the 'Expert Group' was commissioned by the Dept. of Health to come up with exactly the findings that they presented. So there was a slight bias from day one. It also allows Shorthall to wash her hands of any guilt/blame going forward, as it wasn't her idea, it was the 'Expert' Group's.

And seriously, if they believe that increasing the cost of alcohol is going to reduce the number of deaths due to alcohol related causes then they are seriously deluded. They are going to create a black market of unregulated and possibly lethal drink which will cause more deaths either directly (via alcohol poisoning) or indirectly (through gangland wars).

Seriously, does anyone know how much taxpayers money was spunked on this 'Expert Group'???

I dunno lads, I’m all for open and balanced debate, but do ye [i:299fouea]seriously[/i:299fouea] think a hike in alcohol tax is going to lead to prohibition and/or gangland wars over illegal hooch?? <!-- s:? --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_confused.gif" alt="" title="Confused" /><!-- s:? -->

&amp;quot;MAF&amp;quot;:3j1fpmkj wrote: I dunno lads, I’m all for open and balanced debate, but do ye [i:3j1fpmkj]seriously[/i:3j1fpmkj] think a hike in alcohol tax is going to lead to prohibition and/or gangland wars over illegal hooch?? <!-- s:? --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_confused.gif" alt="" title="Confused" /><!-- s:? -->[/quote:3j1fpmkj]

What next father? There'll be drive-by shootings and it'll be like boys in the hood. And there'll be prostitutes on street corners, and the pimps will be using crack to keep the whores under control.