Rudd v Binge Drinking (1 Viewer)

[Slidey]

Re: Cost of premixes to be upped by $15 a case

Time to break out the Passionpop.

 

[Rafy]

Re: Cost of premixes to be upped by $15 a case

Taxes double on ready-to-drink alcohol

THE COST of pre-mixed drinks will jump by about $1 a bottle from today after a dramatic move by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to curb binge drinking.

The Rudd Government doubled the tax on ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages from midnight.

Drinks targeted included Bacardi Breezers, rum and coke, Vodka Cruisers and UDLs. Some are equivalent to three standard drinks.

Drinkers will pay more for the products, whether sold in supermarkets, bottle shops or pubs.

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show young people are more likely to drink RTDs and teenage girls in particular are introduced to alcohol through RTDs.

The Rudd Government swooped last night to avoid a rush on bottle shops. But shoppers may still be able to pick up a bargain. Some prices will stay at current levels until stocks are sold.

The excise will go up from $39 a litre of pure alcohol to $67 a litre of alcohol from today - with pubs and clubs likely to significantly increase the cost of the "alcopop" drinks to cover the rise.

 

[Starcraftmazter]

It'd be great if alcohol got outlawed full stop, but unfortunately not even the number of licensed liquor stored can be lowered, due to the impact that would have on the economy.

As a person who doesn't drink, who despises the taste of alcohol, and who sees no point in it's consumption, I cannot understand how the problem can be this big, nor how to solve it.

It all comes down to responsibility and education though.

 

[jb_nc]

It'd be great if alcohol got outlawed full stop, but unfortunately not even the number of licensed liquor stored can be lowered, due to the impact that would have on the economy.

As a person who doesn't drink, who despises the taste of alcohol, and who sees no point in it's consumption, I cannot understand how the problem can be this big, nor how to solve it.

It all comes down to responsibility and education though.

your a huge loser, you know that

 

[Ms. BRIGHTSIDE]

It'd be great if alcohol got outlawed full stop,

Yeah, great idea.
I look forward to the statistics showing increased drug use and drug related deaths among teens when this happens.

 

[Azamakumar]

your a huge loser, you know that

lol bet theres a backstory


Like his dad got drunk one day and left home.

 

[JaredR]

It'd be great if alcohol got outlawed full stop, but unfortunately not even the number of licensed liquor stored can be lowered, due to the impact that would have on the economy.

As a person who doesn't drink, who despises the taste of alcohol, and who sees no point in it's consumption, I cannot understand how the problem can be this big, nor how to solve it.

It all comes down to responsibility and education though.

You are one l33t g33k.

 

[Slidey]

It'd be great if alcohol got outlawed full stop, but unfortunately not even the number of licensed liquor stored can be lowered, due to the impact that would have on the economy.

As a person who doesn't drink, who despises the taste of alcohol, and who sees no point in it's consumption, I cannot understand how the problem can be this big, nor how to solve it.

It all comes down to responsibility and education though.

The benefits of banning alcohol would be not unlike those of America's policy of abstinence-only sex education.

 

[Slidey]

"Drinks targeted included Bacardi Breezers, rum and coke, Vodka Cruisers and UDLs. Some are equivalent to three standard drinks."

I call bullshit. You find me any one of those that is more than 2 standard drinks.

 

[Graney]

I predict the b+s ball, ute driving, bogan population who subsist on cans of bundy rum will tear down Rudd.

Just went and bought cases of woodies, dark + stormy's, + 4 pack of canadian club. Prices still good, woolies probably raise tomorrow...

 

[scarybunny]

"Drinks targeted included Bacardi Breezers, rum and coke, Vodka Cruisers and UDLs. Some are equivalent to three standard drinks."

I call bullshit. You find me any one of those that is more than 2 standard drinks.

Yeah, the double black is pretty much as high as it goes.

I didn't think it was legal to sell drinks that are more than 2 standards in one glass. So if you want a triple whatever, you can give them a double and a single, but not three in the one glass.

I don't think it would be different for premixed drinks.

 

[BackCountrySnow]

pre-mix your own drinks

 

[chicky_pie]

lol at Nicola Roxon blaming Howard for the booming of binge drinking.

Howard tax cut 'sparked teen binge boom'

FEDERAL Health Minister Nicola Roxon has blamed the former Howard Government for the rise in teenage binge drinking.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23605007-2,00.html

 

[scarybunny]

lol at Nicola Roxon blaming Howard for the booming of binge drinking.

Haha. Teens have been binge drinking since forever.

Since our parents' generation, at least.

 

[Nebuchanezzar]

lol at Nicola Roxon blaming Howard for the booming of binge drinking.

What she said in that article seemed to be pretty truish, me thinks.

 

[incentivation]

What she said in that article seemed to be pretty truish, me thinks.

Truish, if you're one eyed..

I've never heard anything so absurd in my life (linking a reduction in the excise to binge drinking).

If the government honestly believes that increasing the cost of these drinks will reduce binge drinking, they obviously need to receive different advice. The relative price inelasticity of alcoholic beverages at licensed venues, particularly in the city, really conveys that the price is not a huge consideration of those who wish to binge drink.

A good source of revenue yes, a partial solution to the problem, no.

It is a cultural fixture amongst Australia's youth and unless that is reversed, the trend will not be.

 

[scarybunny]

I blame the sixties.

 

[chicky_pie]

I blame the Germans.

 

[cute.asa.button]

But the current policy isn't really aimed at club/bar/pub goers - its aimed at pre-legal drinking age teens - kids who are 14 getting their parents to buy them slabs of cruisers to take to parties.
The biggest problem i see with the scheme is that it only raises prices of cruisers, breezers etc by about 50 cents, which is hardly enough to make it noticeable.

Going into economics as incentivation did, i would say the scheme couldn't really be effective for this target group because they will just learn to like beer younger and get that instead - most people learn to like it when they start drinking in licenced venues because its soo much cheaper, so this will probably just mean that people learn to like it at 14, not 18, because it is a substitute for pre-mixed drinks that is cheaper. Another substitute will be straight spirits, which would be equally worth the money as pre-mixed drinks and easier to get drunk with.

Perhaps what they think will happen is that parents will be less willing to buy teenagers spirits because they are worried about the high alcohol content and therefore teenagers will be less able to buy substitutes for pre-mixed drinks and will therefore lessen their consumption...but as i said before, they will probably just drink as much of what they were drinking before, because the increase in price is hardly that noticeable, especially to parents who are happy to risk the $6000 fine they could get by supplying alcohol to their minor children anyway.

 

[Graney]

But the current policy isn't really aimed at club/bar/pub goers - its aimed at pre-legal drinking age teens - kids who are 14 getting their parents to buy them slabs of cruisers to take to parties.
The biggest problem i see with the scheme is that it only raises prices of cruisers, breezers etc by about 50 cents, which is hardly enough to make it noticeable..

But it affects the rest of us legal drinkers. The increase in price will be extremely noticeable, easily an extra $8-10 on a regular week. I gather a case will cost around 1/3-1/4 extra

they will just learn to like beer younger and get that instead... Another substitute will be straight spirits, which would be equally worth the money as pre-mixed drinks and easier to get drunk with.

More like goon, passion pop.