It's started.


















I don't smoke but I did not support the blanket smoking ban in pubs. I believe that people are responsible for themselves and smoking is a choice that people make. The same goes for drinking, eating and dangerous sports. The health busybodies have moved on to alcohol and this will be the thin edge of the wedge. As a nurse, I and my colleagues have to encourage patients to express their views and we have to respect those views. There is a rain forest load of literature telling us what to do, the rights of the patient and how they can complain about disrespectful staff. Mind you, there is an equally sizeable amount of literature telling staff to encourage patients to manage their diet, stop smoking, drink less, exercise, etc...So when are the bastards that supposedly run mismanage the country going to listen to us, the voters? Probably never until elections hove to on the horizon when promises are made whilst fingers are crossed.
There is a problem with easy access to very cheap, strong alcohol in this country. How to address this: by allowing pubs to sell alcohol to adults without unnecessary red tape; with a reduction in taxes on alcohol sold in licenced premises; with supermarkets and shops ensuring alcohol sold at market price without special offers as loss leaders and paying full tax on them; lower tax on tasty, low % alcohol beers brewed locally (Jobs!). I'd rather see 18 year olds drinking in pubs where there is some control, either from expected standards of behaviour by other customers and vested self interest of the publican who does not want the police having to intervene. The former want a good night out and the latter has a licence and livelihood to consider. Pubs employ people and are often the local focal point for many people. In a sense, the loss of the local pub whilst pubco's ran large, noisy drinking barns with cheap drink promotions and bouncers on the doors, is symptomatic of what has gone wrong with society in general. Conversation, seating, good manners and civilized behaviour promoted as boring and from a bygone age, therefore irrelevant to young people. But large, noisy barns without seating which maximise sales and therefore profits have been encouraged without any consideration given to the social consequences.
People should be free to make choices and there is nothing wrong with making profits, especially when there is a demand for supplying that choice. But copious amounts of cheap, strong alcohol in a short period of time supplied to lots of young adults with few restrictions is likely to result in falling over and kebab munching at best, violence, sexual assaults and death at worse. People making choices in sensibly run local pubs with a wide age range is preferable. Profits can still be made, misbehaviour can be nipped in the bud (shite American rice beer) and the majority of people have a good time. It doesn't stop someone becoming addicted to alcohol but I would argue that addiction is only a small part of the problem. The problem is binge drinking and the social consequences. I have seen alcohol addiction cut right across the social class system; from cheap superstrength cider to expensive wines and spirits. But in a recession with high unemployment and debt on top of rapid unsettling social change, more people will turn to drink. Mind you, if the government price the poor out of buying legal cheap alcohol, illegal booze and drugs will fill the gap for many. The alternative is a sober, angry underclass joining with an increasingly angry and disenfranchised middle class. Rioting is free....they could apply a riot tax plus VAT.
TTFN.