Calls for new tax on alcohol

[TVR-190]

Calls for new tax on alcohol after success of alcopop tax stopping teen drinking | News.com.au

THE success of the alcopops tax in cutting teen drinking could be used as a model to introduce a minimum price on all alcoholic beverages, drug and alcohol experts suggest.
A study of the effects of the three-year-old alcopops tax by an alliance of representatives from the Alcohol Advisory Group, National Drug Research Council and academics has found teenagers are drinking less as a result.
They used the findings to ramp up calls for the federal government to set a minimum price for all alcoholic drinks, arguing that teenagers are not the only ones indulging in excess drinking.
"If a pricing strategy is to be used to reduce the hazardous consumption and harm - and it is clear that price is the most effective and cost-effective measure we can use - a comprehensive approach is preferable," the groups wrote in an article published by the Medical Journal of Australia.

"It should cover all products and aim to reduce the ability of industry to promote cheaper alternatives.
"This should include a comprehensive graduated volumetric taxation system that covers all types of alcoholic beverages and is informed by the relationship between consumption of these products and consequent harm.
"Setting a minimum price per standard drink would curtail the alcohol industry's ability to discount prices to increase sales and to shift consumers to cheaper alternatives."
Research by the groups found that the alcopops tax, introduced in 2008, pushed the sale of the popular drinks down by more than 30 per cent in a year.
While sales of other spirits rose in the same period, the increase accounted for less than half the fall in alcopop sales.
The groups also pointed to the 2008 alcohol and drug survey of teenagers which showed that while the tax had not changed their preference for alcopops, the number of teen drinkers fell 27 per cent in three years.
"Is the alcopops tax working? To the extent possible, probably yes in that (alcopops) are not the only beverage of concern and young drinkers and teenagers are not the only Australians being harmed by drinking," they wrote.
"The government acted wisely to introduce the alcopops tax but it was by no means enough.
"In the face of thousands of deaths and over $15 billion in social and economic costs each year, our political leaders need to do more to address the unacceptable harm that alcohol continues to cause our society."
The government has been facing growing calls to lift the price of alcohol.
The National Alliance for Action on Alcohol, an alliance of 22 health and medical groups, earlier this month met MPs and senators to lobby for alcohol price reform and for the issue to be discussed at the government's October tax summit.

The Alocopops tax a Success, are they bloody retarded? They haven't noticed that the sales of every other form of alcohol have gone up.

[Stressball]

Bwahaha, alcohol tax a success hey? Can statistic manipulation possibly get any more obvious? Kinda like saying that mandatory euthanasia at 75 causes a huge decrease in car accidents caused by 85+ year olds.

Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk

[c2105026]

Booze, especially alcopops is dear enough. Wanna curb alcohol abuse? Stop advertising alcohol. sort of work for tobacco......

[nemesis_adrasteia]

i can see this driving a lot of young people to "cheaper" alternatives AKA drugs.

[Hangman]

If that's the reason for taxing it, then make it cheaper for people who aren't teens. I aint a teenager, why do I have to ####in pay extra?

[87RB30VL]

What they need, is bigger fines for people giving younger kids alcohol, cos it's for people over 18, so why the f-ck should WE get taxed on it, if it's legal for us to have & illegal for people under 18. f-ck this government annoy the shit out of me, ####in' idiots they are, FCKKKKKK

[rob_phill]

I would support a higher a tax on alcohol, provided that it was proportionate to the amount of alcohol in the drink. Ie make spirits more expensive, make light alcohol cheaper.

I would also hope that a portion of the extra redbud raised be put back into the community in the form of rehabilitation and support problems.

[nemesis_adrasteia]

What they need, is bigger fines for people giving younger kids alcohol, cos it's for people over 18, so why the f-ck should WE get taxed on it, if it's legal for us to have & illegal for people under 18. f-ck this government annoy the shit out of me, ####in' idiots they are, FCKKKKKK

as if you didnt drink before you turned 18, i know i did. simply raising the fine wont solve the problem because a vast majortiy of the time you dont get caught.

[Pub247]

Im going to start smoking weed again cheaper than buying alcohol and i get more ####ed up on it.

Might have start up the old still again aswell id rather make 9ltrs of alcohol for the price of a slab of jimmy

[VL_5SPEED]

#### this shit country

[Julie]

Glad I don't drink lol

I don't see why they can't just round up these little drunken turds, throw them in lock up till they sober up and serve them with a nice community service order or something along those lines. Random breath test annoying teenagers who are out and about at night, screw civil liberties. Hell even bring back chain gangs have these little darlings picking up trash on the side of the roads all weekend. They will soon learn not to be out getting stupidly drunk and for those that are getting drunk and minding there own business at home does anyone really care about them?

[ToMMMaY]

Pisses me off Totally have no say whatso ever and these fkn douchebag government fags are just ruining our country

[wraith]

Haha every single teen I know who drinks alchopops just buys something else now. Fail tax is fail.

[Drawnnite]

alcohol monitoring bracelets/anklets for all under 18s
problem solved.

and after all the 18ths ive been to, people just drink to get drunk.
and after seeing people drunk i just dont drink. why? I'd rather be able to drive a car the next day.

[hi_ryder]

hial gillard! (insert erected arm and goose stepping) next there gonna replace the union jack with an iron cross... this shit is getting out of control

[jatsvl]

this is total BS, just another stupid tax that will not work! look at cigarettes, raised the age to 18, stopped advertising, added more tax, added warning labels, added grusome pics, added more tax and now plain packaging, there are more smokers now than ever before, and the government is making more money out of cigarettes than the manufacturer gets.
look at gun laws, only the responsible people suffer, speed cameras don't save lives.
now it is alcohol's turn, then what is next? tv, radio, internet, condom, taxes.

[minux]

Bring it on, will mean those deadheads in the city each weekend might be fewer and more far between.

[Jesterarts]

I think it's a stupid strategy for addressing the issue of teen drinking, etc but I have no issues with it.

I am more than happy for taxes to be imposed on things people choose to do.

Drinkings, smoking, eating junk food, etc are all things that should be heavily taxed in my opinion.

[Astranomical]

I think they've got rocks in their head - while yes, alcopop sales have gone down, sales of straight spirits (not to mention everything else, as mentioned earlier) has gone up. Not only that, but you've also got people turning to drugs, which are even worse than alcohol in many ways. (not to mention that since drugs are illegal, they cannot be regulated unlike alcohol, when you buy drugs you have no idea as to what you are really getting)

Meanwhile, I'm looking to the day when they finally put a tax on breathing....before they make that illegal.

[Jesterarts]

Meanwhile, I'm looking to the day when they finally put a tax on breathing....before they make that illegal.

Your wait will be over soon! It's called the Carbon Tax.

[Darren_L]

I'm not much of a drinker, so the tax really doesn't impact me much.
But I do find it rather ironic how the government always finds the best way to reduce society's problems, whether it be drinking, smoking or emissions, is to further tax it.... Convenient that the government always ends up collecting revenue as a means of solving the Australia's problems

[ari666]

What they need,

what they NEED to do is chill the fk out with all their gay arse rules and let kids be kids.

[monkeys437]

We are over regulated and over taxed. Time for the government to butt out, and let people live their lives. After all alcohol is not illegal, and in moderation (the way I drink it apart from 1-2times per year) it is not harmful

[Low_VX_Taxi]

i can see this driving a lot of young people to "cheaper" alternatives AKA drugs.

Agreed:

Mr Butler also noted the increase in the 16 to 17 year old age bracket who had reported using ecstasy in the month prior to the survey (an increase from 2.3% in 2005 to 3.4% in 2008)

And you also need to remember Alcohol is more socially acceptable so more people are likely to admit usage whereas illicit drugs are less socially acceptable so figures will be skewed by this also (I.E its unlikely that one would admit to parents/teachers illicit drug usage as it would be frowned upon whereas usage of Alcohol or tobacco is more acceptable so teens are more likely to admit that they have used either or both).

It won't be long until its so heavily regulated and taxed illegal streams will pop up (similar to prohibition in America) as is being seen for Tobacco now (chop chop home cultivation etc), you will see a rise in Alcohol related violence/crime because "Moon shine" or home made spirits will crop up which are not able to be regulated by pubs/clubs and liquor stores.

This will also see more revenue to the people controlling these illegal streams and less to honest tax paying businesses.....

To be honest I don't drink pretty much at all anymore (either working or have better things to do with my time) so it doesnt affect me directly, I would just like to see laws instituted based on facts, previous history not "knee jerk" reactions to satisfy the constituents.....

/rant

[Reaper]

Hands up who voted for this mob?????

Reaper