Hike up tax on Alcohol?

Question

Alcohol Concern say that they would like to see a big tax increase on all alcoholic drinks. I totally agree with this, as I know the misery drink can bring, not to mention what it can do to your body, the NHS is falling apart as it is, so if it still exists in 15-20 years time, how's it going to cope with all of these people who have abused their bodies by constantly over indulging in drink, and indeed, drugs? I think the government should in fact do it this way, take the obscene amounts of tax off of fuel duty, and put the difference onto drink. Cheap drink and long pub opening hours, in todays apparently Irresponsible society, was always going to lead to an alcohol addiction problem. Thats my views on the subject, whats yours?

Just to pick up on a point, I detest New Labour and all that they stand for, but I think that cheap drink should be a thing of the past. And also, if you read the question properly, that is my point about the NHS, gonna be a lot of sick people in the future, wheres the resources coming for that? They can barely cope as it is!

Answer 1

I totally agree Faith. Not only would a huge increase in tax on alcohol stop thousands of kids spending their pocket money on getting drunk, it will as you say hopefully reduce the drink culture that seems to be everywhere we look.

As regards petrol it's a complete scandal. For every £10 of fuel you put in your car, more than £8 of it is tax. I once had a friend who had a petrol station and she said for every litre of fuel she sold (price roughly 90p a litre then), she made a grand total of 1.5p profit. She very soon went bust.

It's a prime example of the government taxing the things we use the most, the things they know we can't do without and so HAVE to pay whether we like it or not.

Answer 2

And while booze and fags get more expensive, drugs like cocaine, marijuana and heroin get cheaper. If people can't enjoy a pint and smoke to relax, especially at a weekend then people are gonna head onto the hard stuff, and you think the NHS is in trouble now, just wait.

The NHS has always been in trouble, but that has nothing to do with people "abusing" their bodies as you put. If people want to abuse their bodies then so be it. But if you are gonna do something with the NHS then privatise it 100% across the board, and make everyone pay, including you, the elderly, the handicapped. No exceptions.

A lot of the problems stem from the financing of the NHS as well as all the red-tape, incompetent managers, crap pay, the amounts of money the PCT's skim off the top, millions wasted on inefficeient IT systems, etc etc the list goes on.

You go on about an irrisponsible society, I think what you want is an fascist state rather than a democracy, with people becoming souless drones and "do as I say, not as I do" being the norm.

Are you a New Labour voter? sounds like something they would come up with as Labour and fascism seem to go hand in hand these days and I take it you are not a smoker or a drinker either?

Answer 3

Making drink dearer will hit EVERYONE who enjoys having a tipple. This is just another case of everyone being punished because of the irresponsible actions of a small minority.
Also, lots of pubs have already been hit hard by the smoking ban; if drinks are made too expensive they'll lose even more customers, and may end up shutting altogether.
I agree with those who say that addicts will continue to consume alcohol, however much it costs.

Answer 4

If there's a tax increase it will not change a thing. You have to address why people are doing this in the first place. People are emotionally dependent on alcohol. And if you truly knew how widespread and common cocaine use is in Britain, you wouldn’t even be asking this question.

You may not accept this, but we live in an ultra-capitalist state where the economy rules and influences almost every aspect of our lives. People spend most of their time in jobs they care little about and are expected to devote even more time if they want to be considered "successful".

The problem is not entirely down to working hours, however. Over the past 60 years we have witnessed the decline in all communitarian aspects of life. From family to religion, class to ephemeral social movements (punk), even benign self-respecting patriotism have all been significantly eroded. Despite the issues of communitarian groups, they bred social meaning, definition and belonging for the individual.

You might have been led to believe that this country underwent several social revolutions post WWII: feminism/gender equality, class equality, racial equality, sexual equality, sexual freedom etc. There was in fact only one revolution and that was of capitalism, the economy. You are told that individuals fought for the rights of a group: I dispute the actual effect they had. Humanity did not re-evaluate its greedy heart overnight. People in the right positions of power realised that converting oppressed groups into equal consumerists made money and was generally good for the economy. For example, women left motherhood to pursue careers.

Each person who “plays ball” with the economy is subject to the rules of the game. Basically, you earn to spend. Your colour, creed, gender shouldn’t matter. However, the economy and mass media prevail upon you to spend your disposable fuelling a prestigious individualist identity, at the expense of more humanistic communitarian pursuits. You probably remember noticing the first times gay identities were used on TV: this is not solely an expression of equality, but that there is a significant market for this identity to be profitable.

The advent of popular culture has increasingly shone the spotlight on not the group, but the individual. Elvis was an individual, Kurt Cobain was an individual: this is the sale of identity. If a person in the fifties bought an Elvis record, or had a hairstyle like him, they made a statement: I embody part of what makes Elvis so special. Reflected glory for a golden social passport into universal acceptance.

Without the close family networks of the past, people are left without a sense of belonging. They seek it in fractured social environments such as pubs. Alcohol is becoming an increasingly necessary lubricant to a people who lack self-belief, who are unsure of their identity, people who think buying a certain product and displaying it will give them some sort of social validation.

The British people lack the time and self-belief to form proper, often complex, opinions and world views. They shy away from conversations they think they aren’t knowledgeable enough to discuss. They spend masses of time vegetating, not just in front of the TV after work, but in the office or wherever it is they seek definition.

The economy as a whole is responsible for both size zero and obesity. It is responsible for excessive binge drinking. The government will never do anything to restrict the economy. Binge drinking is therefore here to stay for a long time. They know this, but they too see the chance of making some money.

Answer 5

I disagree, governments have too high a hand in the daily lives of the people as it is. A higher tax on anything for social reasons only hurts the people who use the given product responsibly, why punish them through taxation when they are not the problem. Alcohol is not the problem, a persons abuse of it is. I believe smaller social programs, on a local level to deal with the target problems in their respective areas, not a national tax because some people are irresponsible.

Answer 6

Unfortunately all that will be achieved by increasing the tax is more money for the government and more suffering for the families of the people who will find the extra money for their drink at the expense of something else. I agree that something needs to be done, and very soon, but increasing tax isn't the answer. I only wish I knew what was.

Answer 7

Instead of taxing alcohol more time should be spent on educating parents and showing them that giving their children strong alcohol is not a good idea. Restricting the sale of alcohol would help too, and fining supermarkets etc. for selling to underage drinkers.
Raising the tax will only bring the black market more into play as it has with cigarettes and tobacco.

Answer 8

i fed up with this country/government idea of dealing with a issues by sticking TAX on it and saying that will solve the problem.

This country has turned into a nanny state. It is MY choice to decide if i want to drink, didnt a gov report say it is the middle classes who are drinking themselfs into an early graves as opposed to the working class? the middle class have plenty of spare cash so how is putting more tax on alchole going to stop them drinking?

And if children are drinking themselfs stupid then i think the gov are missing the point..... Children shouldnt even be buying alchohole in the first place so how the hell is putting MORE TAX ON GOING TO STOP IT!!!!! AAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHH

They arent actually addressing the issue its just another way to get YET MORE TAX OUT OF US.

AN Example of this is recently introduced Green tax on Air travel.. is the money received from this tax money put back into to schems which help the enviroment etc????. ERRRR NO. Just goes into the GOVERNMENTS coffers.

They interfering prats who came up with tis b******ks might want to ask WHY so many people feel the need to drink themselfs stupid in the first place. If people are that determined to drink tax isnt going to stop them.

This is all anothe scam TO GET MORE TAX OUT OF US

Answer 9

Where I live wine is around a £1 a bottle but alcoholism is lower than the UK. If you drink too much it has to be your fault. You can´t blame it on any other reason. Why should the majority pay more because you have a problem.

Answer 10

We are Taxed to death already, i think the government help set up all these Groups like Alcohol Concern, gets the public on board with their messages of concern, waits a few months, then bingo, puts the Tax on, due to public concern, and we all fall for it.