is Ireland on the drink?

aside from a tragic case, currently at trial (which we ought not
comment on until resolved)

The Irish Examiner has published a 20 page article outlining the damage
that this all too familiar substance yields on our society:

http://www.examiner.ie/ireland/70000...ol-153726.html

Has Ireland ever 'Not' been on the drink ?

I know what u mean though....Drink is the worst, most abused and most destructive drug of our time !

Yes the ravages of heroine, crack and coke and all are terrible but for the damage done to lives across the spectrum alcohol is wwwwaaaaayyyyyy more destructive on society than the class A's.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by warmcome

aside from a tragic case, currently at trial (which we ought not
comment on until resolved)

The Irish Examiner has published a 20 page article outlining the damage
that this all too familiar substance yields on our society:

http://www.examiner.ie/ireland/70000...ol-153726.html

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If alcohol was only just discovered in the last decade or so it would've been made illegal. Not hard to see why. But you can't exactly get rid of something that's been around for several centuries and is a key industry in many countries.

7 out of 10 acts of violence are committed by persons under the influence of alcohol its a pity some people dont accept the fact that drink simply doesn't suit them & stop clogging up A& E ..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TheH

Has Ireland ever 'Not' been on the drink ?

I know what u mean though....Drink is the worst, most abused and most destructive drug of our time !

Yes the ravages of heroine, crack and coke and all are terrible but for the damage done to lives across the spectrum alcohol is wwwwaaaaayyyyyy more destructive on society than the class A's.

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We certainly have the reputation as hard drinkers but I'm not sure it is really deserved - what is true is a widespread inability to drink without becoming a right pain in the ass to those around you.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ladiesman217

If alcohol was only just discovered in the last decade or so it would've been made illegal. Not hard to see why. But you can't exactly get rid of something that's been around for several centuries and is a key industry in many countries.

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i wouldn't try prohibition because it only works for the mob.
however, education and taxation can influence how popular a substance is.
i remember when there were only a handful of off-licences and if you missed the 10pm
closing time-that was that. now Aldi, Dunnes and the rest are pushing case loads of booze
on students and other young people. 500ml for 79c? it would be €7 a can under my regime. :D

http://www.hairweb.org/images/news-c...era-rastas.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by warmcome

i wouldn't try prohibition because it only works for the mob.
however, education and taxation can influence how popular a substance is.
i remember when there were only a handful of off-licences and if you missed the 10pm
closing time-that was that. now Aldi, Dunnes and the rest are pushing case loads of booze
on students and other young people. 500ml for 79c, it would be €7 a can under my regime. :D

http://www.hairweb.org/images/news-c...era-rastas.jpg

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You would be lynched

More than just hard drinker, I would say wrong drinker.
By that , I mean the wrong drink at the wrong time.
Take on the continent for example, people in general will drink wih their food, and only what they feel like drinking.
Here, people drink vast amount on an empty stomach against the clock.
Something's gotta give eventually, and it doesn't end well.
to see any real chances, people have to be educated, mentalities have to change,and this takes time.
Unfortunately, rulers seem to think that repression will have a better and immediat effect.
You don't have to be an idealistic moron to be a politician, but it certainly helps!!!

Seeing as Ireland has taken an estimated 10% growth in population since 2006 and the increase in crime is 13% I wouldn't say it's getting totally out of hand since then. All this does is affirm that our licensing laws don't work and someone should start from scratch with the whole thing. Mind you they'll have to give it a proper time to work 10/15 years because we all know if a contentinal system was to be introduced this place will go nuts for the first few years

Surveys like this one don't take into account repeat offenders, in other words just how much of the boozed up crime is caused by the same people again and again.

Now I'll admit a vested interest, I've worked in the booze trade since I was 18 so can't exactly be completely impartial! But so much about drink is hyped up and over dramatised, yes booze is harmful in excess but so are other legal drugs like nicotine.

In law already is an attempt to stop SUpermarkets selling booze so easily, but the government won't enforce it as it will affect jobs and piss big boys like Tesco off. Basically how it works is this, it will be illegal to sell booze (of any kind wine, beer or spirits) in a shop IF you have to pass other goods to reach the alcohol department. Obviously more lawyerly and articulate than that, but what it boils down to is no more mixed trading, SUpermarkets would need separate off licences either as part of the main building or separate all with their own tills etc. It was like this for years up North anyway.

Adults buying beer for kids is another big problem, I've confiscated beer from adults trying to pass it on to kids outside; there is a 2000 euro fine for the buyer if this is reported to the Garda. It's legal to buy booze and give it to your own kids or anyone under your Guardianship but nothing else. It's also technically illegal to sell to someone under the influence of alcohol, so the alcohol trade does need to sort its own house out rather than just passing the buck.

Bit of a rant there, apologies guys but the number of times this happens is just infuriating. Its an issue we need to deal with as a society, taking an hour of the licensed hours accomplished nothing, except allowing us to finish work a bit earlier!

i always had the impression that England and Scotland
had a similar problem to Ireland but no. i got this info from
the supplement in today's Examiner.

annual spend per head (over age 15)

England €827

Scotland €939

Ireland €1,934 WTF?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by warmcome

i always had the impression that England and Scotland
had a similar problem to Ireland but no. i got this info from
the supplement in today's Examiner.

annual spend per head (over age 15)

England €827

Scotland €939

Ireland €1,934 WTF?

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Having worked in the trade in both the UK and Ireland I'd dispute those figures massively, plus if that was the average spend why am I not driving a Ferrari?????? I'd love to know how they cooked those figures together, the cost of alcohol is higher here so that would go someway to the difference in figures - but twice the amount is crazy.

The price could go up even more as FG have a plan to increase duty on a bottle of wine by a euro, the highest increase we've ever had. The last time we had a 50c increase there were massive queues up to Newry on the M1! INcreasing duty on booze, fags or fuel is simple taxation by another name, a sneaky stealth tax at that.

France €302

Ireland €1,210 (1995)

I've seen the problem first-hand in the time I worked as a doorman in Dublin. Too many people just can't handle themselves on the drink, it's not that they should necesarily stop drinking, it's just the pace at which some consumer aldohol and ultimately what the PURPOSE of drinking is.

For some, going out and having a few while relaxing and chatting with friends is the goal; for others, the goal in itself is drinking JUST TO GET DRUNK. It's those types that always caused the most hassle, and it's those types that no doubt make-up the majority of the people represented in the statistics presented in the article.

I think Cable has hit it spot on, for some people a night out means complete obliteration! Drink until closing time or unconsciousness whichever comes first.

They should also stagger the closing times so not everyone is turfed out on the streets at the same time,the nightclubs should always have later hours than bars.

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Originally Posted by lfccork

They should also stagger the closing times so not everyone is turfed out on the streets at the same time,the nightclubs should always have later hours than bars.

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Wasn't there later times for nightclubs and the government put the time back an hour to stop binge drinking but all it does is incourage people to buy more before closing time.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fitzy

Wasn't there later times for nightclubs and the government put the time back an hour to stop binge drinking but all it does is incourage people to buy more before closing time.

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fitzy, they don't get everything right y'know ;)

When I was working in the UK there was uproar as they introduced 24 hour licences, the Daily Mail readers screamed their horror "won't somebody think of the children" style. In the end 6 clubs applied for a licence for 24 hours, the rest extended their hours a bit but nothing major. And the main reason they brought in 24 hour licences? To stop the 2 million licence extension request that went before the courts EVERY year!

Staggering closing times is a great idea, another one is actually categorising where the crime actually takes place. Once study I saw showed more crime outside takeaways and chippers after kicking out time than in the pubs and clubs!!! Pissed fellas waiting in the queues and causing hassle. If they put the Garda in the right locations it might help, but I think no matter what you try, some people will always cause trouble when they have had a skinful.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dohnut Boy

When I was working in the UK there was uproar as they introduced 24 hour licences, the Daily Mail readers screamed their horror "won't somebody think of the children" style. In the end 6 clubs applied for a licence for 24 hours, the rest extended their hours a bit but nothing major. And the main reason they brought in 24 hour licences? To stop the 2 million licence extension request that went before the courts EVERY year!

Staggering closing times is a great idea, another one is actually categorising where the crime actually takes place. Once study I saw showed more crime outside takeaways and chippers after kicking out time than in the pubs and clubs!!! Pissed fellas waiting in the queues and causing hassle. If they put the Garda in the right locations it might help, but I think no matter what you try, some people will always cause trouble when they have had a skinful.

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agreed! it's a bit disconcerting that the police need to be told where the crime is.
i think they know damn well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by warmcome

i always had the impression that England and Scotland
had a similar problem to Ireland but no. i got this info from
the supplement in today's Examiner.

annual spend per head (over age 15)

England €827

Scotland €939

Ireland €1,934 WTF?

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I would love to see the figures for young people only. I'm 22, I spend £50 on a Wednesday or Thursday night and £70 on a Saturday nearly every week. It's about £12 for the return taxi, £5 entry and food (5 or 6 quid?). I usually go out with the same people, we buy rounds and bump into the same people and they drink smilar amounts so these figures are probably about average imho.