Budget 2008
Increasing pressure to raise drinks prices
DRINKERS are bracing themselves
for a rise in tax on alcohol
in today's Budget to tackle bingedrinking
by youngsters able to
get cheap cider, wine and beer.
In some North-East supermarkets,
The Northern Echo has
found two-litre bottles of cider
for as little as £1.20 - less than the
price of half a pint in many of
the region's clubs and pubs.
Politicians on all sides have
called on Chancellor Alistair
Darling to tackle underage
drinking in the streets by making
drink less affordable for
them.
Dr Stephen Singleton, the
North-East's director of public
health, supported the idea, saying:
"There is good evidence that
raising the price of alcohol reduces
the amount that is consumed.
"So there is a strong case to be
made to increase the tax on
drinks, particularly those which
are attractive to children and
young people.
"But this is by no means the
whole answer to the problem of
excessive drinking in the North-
East, just part of it."
Sergeant Tim Robson, a licensing
officer with Durham Police,
said taxing drinks with a
high alcohol content might not
affect teenage binge drinking.
He said a list of alcohol that
police seized in the Derwentside
area showed that Bella Brusco,
Lambrini, Lambrella, Blue WKD,
Carling and Fosters lagers and
cheap cider were among local
youngsters' favourite drinks.
He said: "The kids generally
do not like the higher-strength
drinks because of the taste. They
want something nice and sweet
that tastes like pop.
"If you put up the tax on a bottle
of Glenmorangie whisky, it
will make little difference to the
problem, but if you tripled the
price of a bottle of Bella Brusco,
sales would go down and it would
have an impact.
"It is about targeting the
drinks that are used by the
youngsters."
He said one solution could be
to ask shopkeepers to increase
the price of certain brands on
nights when trouble happened.
The British Beer and Pub Association,
which is worried about
declining beer sales and the increasing
rate of pub closures, is
urging the Chancellor not to put
any more on the price of a pint.
10:16am Wednesday 12th March 2008
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CommentPosted by: carole griffiths, darlington on 12:02pm Fri 14 Mar 08
if the government want to stop young people and children drinking why do they allow high alcohol drinks that taste like pop to be sold.most teenagers have and will, have tried to drink underage,but years ago could'nt drink enough to get them into the condition thry do now[bold]bold[/bold]
if the government want to stop young people and children drinking why do they allow high alcohol drinks that taste like pop to be sold.most teenagers have and will, have tried to drink underage,but years ago could'nt drink enough to get them into the condition thry do now
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