Alcohol is bad for you

[Suff]

I think a lot of this has to do with the tendency for younger people to go mad with alcohol. But abstaining is not the problem. Responsible drinking and being in company of responsible drinkers is far more important than some government edict on how/when you can/should drink.

Now if we're going to go into stupidity and warnings, etc, I want to see this warning on alcohol.

Beer goggles lower your self esteem!

That goes for both sexes...

[Workingman]

Di, your post rings so many bells: limited opening hours for pubs and clubs; out-sales (bottles only) or the 'offy' as the only alternatives; the only booze in the house being a few spirits, Port and Sherry for 'special occasions'. It was a whole different world.

The three things that have really changed are a) cost, b) availability, and c) variety of drinks.

My first senior wage would have bought me about 50 pints of beer in the local, had I been allowed to spend it that way. It is not a million miles away from what an 18 yr-old on minimum wage could buy today. What I could not do is go to a supermarket or corner shop and buy stronger ale of half the price, or less, and at just about any time on any day. And nobody, but nobody, would have thought of adding "pop" to a drink!

As for "Food on the Hoof", it didn't happen except at maybe the seaside or an open air fair.

[cromwell]

Di, your post rings so many bells: limited opening hours for pubs and clubs; out-sales (bottles only) or the 'offy' as the only alternatives; the only booze in the house being a few spirits, Port and Sherry for 'special occasions'. It was a whole different world.

The three things that have really changed are a) cost, b) availability, and c) variety of drinks.

Got to agree with Di and WM.
Pubs, with a very few exceptions, used to open (roughly) 11 am to 3 pm and 6.30-11.00 pm. If you wanted to buy anything outside those hours it was the off licence.
Somehow supermarkets have wriggled their way into selling drink from 8.00 am to 10 pm. So you can buy beer. spirits or wine (and a decent bottle, not 1970's Corrida) at any time. The supermarkets also often sell large cases of beer and lager at a loss to get trade in, especially during world cups.
Then you have night clubs. Lots of them and open until the early hours. The relaxation of pub and nightclub opening hours even had a name - the "Night time economy"!
So yoy get an absolute relaxation of government policy on booze; on how and when it can be bought - and then a few years later another part of the state is saying that we have a problem with drink!
It makes no sense.

[miasmum]

and who are the ones feeling guilty? The ones like me, that have a glass of wine most evenings, whilst watching the news. One glass, that probably does more good than harm, and I am made to think, oh maybe I shouldn't.

The youngsters, that are drunk before they go out of an evening, that drink until they fall over and end up comatose in A&E at least 3 nights a week, won't think for one minute this applies to them.

[cromwell]

If the government is serious about reducing alcohol consumption, why don't they just limit where and when you can buy the stuff? Apparently 24 hour supermarkets can sell booze all round the clock and it's not unknown for drunks to be buyng bottles of vodka at three in the morning!

That's plainly ridiculous. What's wrong with just selling booze from booze only shops from say 12 noon to nine o'clock?

(Besides the fact that it would cost supermarkets some profit, obviously).

[Suff]

Why does the government not ban tobacco? Why do they tell us that we need less cars, then try to make it easier for us to buy more cars? Why do they tell us our cities are choked but don't ban vehicles and put in place the transport infrastructures to carry all the people who must travel.

Revenues. No other reason.

What is good for us wars with how much money they can make. In a budget deficit economy, revenues are god and people must be preached to. But if people took the preaching too seriously, they'd make it even easier to spend money on it.

Being a hypocrite is not just a prerequisite for being a politician. You actually have to be good at it to be a successful politician.

It has been a long, long time since I've listened to any of this government propaganda. The best explanation I've ever heard is "Stupid is as Stupid does".... Works for me.

[Kaz]

It's the same with all of these warnings, isn't it? As Shell said, they only make the moderate feel guilty, and those who overindulge be it in drink, food, whatever just take no notice whatsoever. It's a complete and utter waste of time and, more importantly, public money!

[victor]

presumably then it follows that they will be getting rid (they do now!) of all the wine at Westminster? thought not

[cromwell]

Vic, there was an article in the papers yesterday about the bars and eateries in the House of Commons and the House of Lords. They were taxpayer subsidised to the tune of £6 million last year!

[Workingman]

They were taxpayer subsidised to the tune of £6 million last year!

Bluddyell. If they were there 365 days a year that would be £25 each per day. Parliament only sits for about a third of the year, so its £75 per sot.

Even I would think that everything in the garden was rosy with that amount inside me. No wonder the country is in a mess!