http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17482035

Thoughts? You probably already know my take on cnuts like Cameron and their dirty little revenue raisers... It's time to accept it's a cultural problem, even the health secretary does!

A minimum price just ensures bigger profits for the retailers. Will it stop binge drinking er that will be a fat nope.

If they're going to set a minimum price, they may as well do it through tax.

I'm going to set up a still in the garage. Anyone know where I can get some cheap barrels suitable for maturing bootleg wisky? They say you're less likely to go blind if it's matured for three years because the methanol evaporates through the wood

And yes I spelled it wisky deliberately. Work it out yourself

I lolled.

In all seriousness, most people drink more than they should. Either alcoholic drinks should be less alcoholic or price'em up so fewer drinks are consumed.

Not too fussed, I'd rather drink less but better quality than more cheap stuff (most of the time I have 0 units per week anyway, maybe once or twice a month the odd single drink)

LAN parties excluded though

Have you been watching "Moonshiners" on the Discovery Channel by any chance?

<starts singing 'Copperhead Road'>.

If you go for the taxation route it affects everything, including pubs which are having a rough time of it already.
The objective is to reduce the incidence of people getting smashed before they even leave the house and then going out to drink even more.
What this won't have any serious impact on is people drinking wine or spirits at home, it's mainly going to affect beer/lager and cider, particularly at the cheaper end of the market. One could argue that minimum pricing disproportionately targets those with low incomes and the unemployed without any significant impact on the increasing risks being posed by alcohol consumption by the middle class who are increasingly drinking at home.

A minimum price would have little or no impact on pubs (unless they use it as an opportunity to raise prices) while going after the cheapest booze in supermarkets which is where a large part of the problem arises. In principle I don't have any problem with that but I don't drink at home so it would have naff all impact on me anyway.

I also note that the Tories, Lib Dems and Labour were all opposed to the idea of minimum pricing when the Scottish government originally proposed it.
Can't beat a bit of opportunism can you especially when it also temporarily diverts attention for you cash grab budget the day before.

Love that song