Hiking prices not an alcohol answer (From Winsford Guardian)

Hiking prices not an alcohol answer

3:35pm Thursday 12th July 2012 in News

I VERY much admire the courage and hard work of Alison Dixon who has been fighting hard to warn young people about the dangers of alcohol abuse and I agree that more must be done to prevent youngsters getting addicted to booze.

But a mandatory 50p per unit price is not the way to go.

Those addicted to alcohol will drink regardless of the price, while it has been proven that the yearly increases in duty on alcohol that have been imposed to limit our consumption have done little to reduce our intake.

What I believe would be a far more effective way of dealing with youth alcoholism would be to target those who supply problem drinkers.

Shops and supermarkets who sell alcohol to underage teenagers and those who are already in a drunken state should have their licences taken away, while parents who allow their underage children to drink to excess should also be punished or fined.

Introducing a minimum price is unfair to the vast majority of drinkers who know their limits and don’t regularly drink to excess.

PAUL NUTTALL, MEP UKIP, Cheshire