Units... they really do add up

THE Government’s latest scheme to tackle binge drinking could see the price of booze rise to 50p per unit of alcohol. The move, proposed by the Government’s chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, will see the average price of a bottle of wine rise to around £4.50, with cans of lager likely to be sold no cheaper than £1. Will it work or do the plans simply punish responsible drinkers? Jennifer Hollamby went to Uppermill to find out.

Sir Liam Donaldson’s suggestion that bumping up the price of alcohol would help solve Britain’s binge drinking crisis is not without support.

But the proposals have also stoked fierce opposition, with some ministers expressing concern that the moves will punish the responsible majority.

Jean Morgan (65), from Diggle, said: “I don’t think it will make any difference. If people want to drink they will find the money.

“I can’t see much difference between £3 and £4 for a bottle of wine. It’s like when people smoke, people who drink too much now will simply go without something else, so they can still have a drink.”

Cheryl Hindson (38), from Delph, said: “I think it’s a good idea. The cost of excessive alcohol consumption is such a strain on the NHS and if the prices are high, it might discourage young people from drinking too much.”

Karen Cooper (40), from Greenfield, said: “Anything which might help the situation is always worth considering because binge drinking is a real problem. I used to do it a long time ago and regret it now.

“I have not had a drink for three years. You come into Uppermill village on a Friday night and see all the young people drinking in the park. It’s too easy for young people to drink to excess now.”

Lynda Elmore (57) said: “I think this is a bit too nanny-state. People need to make their own decisions. I work for the NHS and a lot of our intensive care beds are taken up by alcoholics and drug addicts and that’s down to changes in society more than anything else.

Value

“People don’t have hope or ambition anymore and many don’t have jobs.

“The Government needs to look at giving people reasons to value themselves, instead of adopting this kind of approach.”

Duncan Phillips (38) said: “I think this is just another way for the Government to make money and it’s not looking at the root cause of the problem.

“It’s simply another tax which will penalise responsible drinkers.”

Anna Sparkes (33) said: “It’s really bad timing when 39 pubs a week are already shutting down because of the recession — this will simply make it worse.”

Peter Sparkes (44) said: “Rather than simply increasing the price of all alcohol they should look at driving up prices on certain things like the excessively cheap offers in supermarkets.

“I don’t even think it should simply be aimed at the type of alcohol that young people tend to drink.

“If they are taught to respect alcohol by their parents then they shouldn’t have problems with it when they are older.

“It’s simply about hitting the ridiculously cheap offers that are knocking around.”

Derrick Hughes (73), of Brownhill Lane, Uppermill, said: “I think they need to look at restricting sales of alcohol in certain places, like supermarkets, where it is much more difficult to police the age of the people who are buying the drink because they are such busy and vast places.

“The masses shouldn’t have to suffer for the sins of the few.

“You need to decrease the sale area for alcohol, so it is much clearer for shop workers to work out who is buying it.”