Alcopops

[Nintendo]

Heyz, what are your thoughts on the Rudd Governments ridiculous tax hike on "ALCOPOPS" and the recent claim that if you drink more than 4 middies of beer or two glasses of wine you are binge drinking?

I'm interested in both legal age and all you kids who like a drink on the weekend (I'm not agreeing that you should be drinking below the age of 18 lets just make that clear)

First of all, here are my thoughts....

The Rudd Crusade are trying to tackle the problem of street violence which they believe is largely caused by teenage binge drinking. How do they think they will stop this issue? By introducing a 70% tax hike on all alcopops. For starters WHAT THE HELL IS AN ALCOPOP? I've never once heard someone refer to a Jim Beam or a Bundy as an ALCOPOP. So now instead of paying a sweet price of $16 for a six pack of Bundy I find myself paying $22, and a slab of Jack Daniels is now $105! I was a hard working, responsible adult who enjoys a drink on the weekends, only a couple beers or bourbons or so, and now because parents can't control their teens I am suffering for them. This is TOTAL CRAP!

This sudden large increase in price is having people go out and buy straight alcohol instead. Cheaper alternative, but this has a negative impact. Why you may ask? Well for us over the legal age each can or bottle of PREMIX (I refuse to call them alcopops) drink has a standard drink rating so you can monitor how much you have had, so you can know if you are safe to drive and drink responsibly etc. This is a standard and is easy to monitor and control. Well now I refuse to pay ridiculous prices for my booze I find myself mixing my own drinks, which is NOT controlled. I have no real way of monitoring how much alcohol I have in my drink as someone else may mix a drink for me a little stronger than I would myself, or maybe my second drink had less coke in it than my first etc...

So now instead of having a controlled substance, teenagers are mixing their own straight drinks and end up even worse off! Smart move Ruddster!

So if teens are the problem, upping the price on alcopops must be the solution. NO! How about tougher liquor laws, obviously they aren't tough enough if teens are constantly binge drinking. Upping the price stops nothing, it just makes consumers who are responsible and of legal age outraged!

Parents are the problem. Control your children. If your kid is having a party don't let them have booze. It is your responsibility to look after your own kids, not the tax payers paying for it in the long run.

Now the Rudd Crusade comes out saying 2 glasses of wine or 4 middies constitutes as binge drinking.....RIDICULOUS! This is all to support their plans to now up the price on beer and wines too. I know many people who go out for dinner, drink a bottle or two of wine and are perfectly responsible, I wouldn't call that binge drinking.

Personally I think it's a joke, and just another example of Rudd's lack of understanding of our country.

What are your thoughts?

 

[icurafu]

Rudd government == Australia for those dirty forigners.

Yes, I'm pissed, because I like mixed drinks. It saves me from doing myself.

Now I buy the seperate bits and make it myself.

Rudd is like the George Bush of Australia.

 

[Ganepark32]

A politician's vision of what something is is completely the opposite of what the average joe would think. In my eyes, Binge drinking is going out and knocking back upwards of 10 or so bottles of beer. Anything above that is what I'd call binge drinking (done it once myself because I was in a poor state of mind). Now obviously prices of drink are going to go up because all of a sudden all these health officials are coming out saying that drinking this is too much, etc. It's not only confined to Australia. They're doing it here int he UK. Prices for drink has been steadily rising and will continue to do so.

Now I like a drink now and then and as I teenager myself (19 so it's legal B) ) I know many people who go out and binge on a regular basis. What I feel is that alcohol shouldn't be jacked up in prices (be it through taxes or artificial price raising) and as a responsible drink, I sure as hell shouldn't be the one forking out more money just for a bottle of wine.

Easiest way to solve the problem would be to grab hold of these little buggers that are binging (my definition of binging so 10+ drinks) and send them off to the army or something. That'll sort out the drinking problem and the prices in one. But even then the world's governments would still tax the arses off of us for the drink for some stupid reason.

 

[daclassicgamingmaster]

I've been having drinks since I was 16. Not going out and drinking myself into a coma, but the occasional drink. Now I'm 20 and I STILL can't drink legally. It's a joke. I honestly don't know why they won't lower the drinking age in the US.

Meanwhile, 18 year olds are hacking down cigarette smoke and no one gives a shit

 

[Orkie]

only a couple beers or bourbons or so

 

[nickspoon]

Easiest way to solve the problem would be to grab hold of these little buggers that are binging (my definition of binging so 10+ drinks) and send them off to the army or something. That'll sort out the drinking problem and the prices in one. But even then the world's governments would still tax the arses off of us for the drink for some stupid reason.

Except that binge drinking is, as of yet, not a crime, and sending somebody into the armed forces against their wishes is a violation of basic human rights.

 

[Ganepark32]

^ I know, which is actually stupid. I fell if a person is going to constantly binge drink, and thus end up ruining other people's nights out because of stupidity, then there should be some form of punishment. Sticking them in a cell for the night and then giving them a slap on the wrists just isn't good enough. *cracks a whip* these buggers need to be taught a lesson. But I think the main reason people binge drink is because they can get easy access to it. I've been to loads of clubs and bars and not one of them asked for ID when buying a drink or entering the joint. Now that's just going to encourage people to do it because they then think they won't get caught.

@ Orkie - lol, was wondering how long it would be until someone posted that.

 

[icurafu]

They should have to push the boulder of shame through the streets!

 

[fishybawb]

The price of drink would drive me to drink, but it's too expensive.

 

[Goity]

Perhaps if the price of orange tan is increased they won't be able to afford the drink because of the increase in necessities, therefore causing a reduction in problems for everyone.

 

[nickspoon]

The price of drink would drive me to drink, but it's too expensive.

So is driving, these days.

 

[Orkie]

Hah, driving is cheap compared to learning to do so and taking the tests which are increasingly designed to catch you out and take your money! The theory test is now like a fruit machine...

 

[fishybawb]

Not learning to drive (and hence not having to pay for petrol, company fuel-card users excluded) is probably a blessing these days, unless you like bending over every time you go to a petrol station. Just wait until oil hits $200 a barrel in the coming months

 

[Nova]

Hah, driving is cheap compared to learning to do so and taking the tests which are increasingly designed to catch you out and take your money! The theory test is now like a fruit machine...

Wait for the twice-weekly £60 fillups and then tell me driving is cheap.

 

[Iorgy77]

I haven't had to pay for petrol since January 2007... company fuel cards rock.

 

[Orkie]

Wait for the twice-weekly £60 fillups and then tell me driving is cheap.

You clearly have a 10l engine or something if you need to put that much in ;P

 

[Aaaaaaaa]

I'm not really in the know with political issues and such, but I think the tax on booze is a good idea.

I think nonessential lifestyle things like fags & booze (But NOT petrol) should be the things which are tatxed rather than things that are more necessary (FUEL!!!). Even though it affects me cos i like to purchase the alcohol.

Just my 2 pence

 

[Nova]

For starters WHAT THE HELL IS AN ALCOPOP? I've never once heard someone refer to a Jim Beam or a Bundy as an ALCOPOP.

An Alcopop is usually a term to describe an alcoholic beverage that contains a lot of sugar and artificial flavouring, like a bacardi breezer or WKD, Smirnoff Ice, etc

 

[Fishbong]

Why would anyone except for 16 year old girls drink alcopops anyway? None of them taste as good as an actual cocktail, they have no style at all, they are being associated with little kids who can´t bear the taste of alcohol but want to get drunk anyway. Drink some fucking beer or hard liquor or even wine if the situation´s right.

Look, here in Germany there was a high tax increase for alcopops for exactly the same reason like 3 or 4 years ago. Note that the legal drinking age for beer and wine in Germany is 16 anyway, but the alcopops led to a increase in alcohol poisonings among adolescents. That´s because they were usually bought by people who had no drinking experience and hence no appreciation for real drinks, and guzzled the sweet stuff until they passed out.
So, now that the taxes have been increased, it´s hard to find the stuff anywhere... and nothing of value was lost.

Also, weed is better than booze anyway.