Tuesday, 27 December 2011

Brass in pocket

You often hear representatives of the medical profession moaning about alcohol being available at “pocket-money prices”. However, they’re always vague about what specific products they are referring to. It would be illuminating to get them to name the products they are talking about, and to demonstrate that they have some kind of disproportionate involvement in alcohol-related health problems.

And are they talking about the price per individual pack, or the effective price per unit? Tesco will sell you a single bottle of Czech lager for 99p, but in terms of bangs per buck that is a lot dearer than a 20-pack of Fosters for a tenner, and the latter can hardly be regarded as within the scope of “pocket money”. And the average weekly pocket money for a child is apparently £6.84, which will comfortably buy a four-pack of pretty much any beer in the off-trade.

In reality, the UK has about the third-highest alcohol duties in the European Union, and amongst the highest 10% in the world. In no meaningful sense can alcoholic drinks in this country overall be regarded as cheap.

If anything really is available at “pocket money prices”, then that suggests one or both of it being very weak and in a very small measure. This is a dishonest and emotive use of words that is only too typical of the anti-drink lobby, and regrettably is occasionally taken up by some claiming to represent the interests of drinkers who really should know better.

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5 comments:

  1. Neville Grundy27 December 2011 at 16:51

    The statement about 'pocket money prices' could just as logically be an argument for lower pocket money. And that would be just as stupid too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Leg-iron27 December 2011 at 17:37

    The local Tesco will sell me two litres of bottled water for about 20p.

    I'm still waiting for one of these 'booze cheaper than water' chaps to tell me where I can get two litres of booze for less than 20p.

    I'd be willing to travel...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Curmudgeon27 December 2011 at 17:42

    @Leg-iron:

    A myth I've previously deconstructed here.

    The concept of comparing like with like is beyond their comprehension.

    Of course, now we have reduced beer duty below 2.8% (supposedly to improve health) Tesco value piss is even cheaper.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous27 December 2011 at 19:42

    Does'nt need an Einstein to puzzle out why a pint of brown water can set you back upto £3.
    As long as there are a millon or two halfwits and loners prepared to pay it, carry on being stuffed.
    Dont expect any trumpet calls and drum rolls,look how the smokers
    doffed their caps and scarpered
    like scentless skunks(SCENTLESS)
    The health freaks and medico weirdos know they are on a winner ,look at the opposition,
    if you can get them away from their keyboards

    Cosa Una

    ReplyDelete
  5. Neville Grundy27 December 2011 at 23:24

    Anon - what planet are you on? You're the one who doesn't go to the pub and is glued to his keyboard to type out ever more bitter and snide comments. I go to the pub myself to meet my friends. A couple of dozen of them in there last time I went in - how does that make us loners?

    ReplyDelete

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