But entirely futile:
The research released to mark Alcohol Awareness Week this week coincides with another report which found that alcohol is being sold for as little as 9p per unit. It means that three pints (six units) could be bought for 54pence, approximately the cost of a Mars bar.
Professor Martin Plant, lead author of the work said: “The UK has been experiencing an epidemic of alcohol-related health and social problems that is remarkable by international standards.
“This could be done by introducing a minimum unit price of 50p which would cut alcohol-related hospital admissions, crimes and absence days from work.
For these puritanical prodnoses seem not to understand where the power actually resides in our modern society.
A minimum alcohol price would be illegal under EU rules. Doesn\’t matter what Westminster says or does, it cannot happen therefore.
What’s more, the statistics the Telegraph use are highly questionable (no change there).
Alcohol is 69% cheaper than in 1980 they claim. In fact the price of alcohol has risen higher than the retail price index in that period. Surely any sub-editor should have questioned such a silly claim – or do none of them drink these days?
The claim should probably be that incomes have risen by a higher amount, so that alcohol is more affordable.
This all ignores the main fact, which is that adults, on average, are drinking less today than 10 years ago, whatever certain individuals within the population are doing.
A clearer look at the stats is at:
http://www.ic.nhs.uk/webfiles/publications/alcoholeng2009/Final%20Format%20draft%202009%20v7.pdf
When I see assertions to the effect that alcohol is being sold for ‘as little as’ 9p per ‘unit’, I notice no concrete facts are supplied. This may be to avoid providing free advertising to the shops concerned; it may also be because the charity is lying.
You can buy alcohol here for practically nothing. Nobody in their right mind would drink it. Alcohol is a bit like a hooker, you don’t want to get the cheapest on offer for a very good reason.