13.03.13
Bottoms up?
Could the Government really U-turn on minimum pricing? Ministerial opposition is rumoured to be growing, with many key figures in the Cabinet refusing to endorse the policy – including, intriguingly, former health secretary Andrew Lansley.
The argument seems to boil down to the target audience for minimum pricing. Those against state that it will hit the poor hardest, and leave other risky groups to continue with their irresponsible drinking.
Will alcoholics be deterred by price? It is assumed that for many students and young people, minimum pricing would certainly curb their binge drinking, but what about the struggling pensioners that opponents keep raising as the real recipients of a price hike?
It cannot be successfully argued that cheap alcohol is good for society – or anyone really, apart from the drinks industry. But concerns about ‘punishing the poor’ could hit home with a struggling public.
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