Hi All,
The British government proposed a minimum price of 50p per unit of alcohol in the UK. This would push up the price of vodka from around ?9 per bottle to ?13. The research suggested that this would save 50,000 pensioners a decade from an early grave and apparently more elderly are admitted to hospital due to alcohol related problems than 16-24 YO, which was a big surprise to me. Due to low pensions, loneliness and poor health care among the elderly, drinking has widely spread among that group.
The article itself wasn’t that astounding to me as the responses I read from the readers. 100s of people commented on how this is cruelty to the pensioners and how people should be able to drink as much as they like in their golden years. I didn’t see a single positive comment; everyone was outraged and defended a person’s right to get drunk. Sure a person should have the freedom to choose. But alcohol affects the rest of the society also in both monetary and social costs. NHS is already stretched to the limit and alcohol related problems cost the UK tax payer billions of pounds. What I am trying to point out is not that this article is special it’s the reaction of the common people who think that it’s alright to get drunk/to be an alcoholic. Not a single person wrote in to say that we need to look into the well being of the elderly or use the money raised from this tax to invest into better elderly care. No wonder we are met with such fierce resistance from our fellow men and women when we tell them that we don’t drink, never will, never regret the decision to stop.
Minimum price for alcohol 'will save 50,000 pensioners' - Telegraph
Just a thought
ALLAN K.
The British government proposed a minimum price of 50p per unit of alcohol in the UK. This would push up the price of vodka from around ?9 per bottle to ?13. The research suggested that this would save 50,000 pensioners a decade from an early grave and apparently more elderly are admitted to hospital due to alcohol related problems than 16-24 YO, which was a big surprise to me. Due to low pensions, loneliness and poor health care among the elderly, drinking has widely spread among that group.
The article itself wasn’t that astounding to me as the responses I read from the readers. 100s of people commented on how this is cruelty to the pensioners and how people should be able to drink as much as they like in their golden years. I didn’t see a single positive comment; everyone was outraged and defended a person’s right to get drunk. Sure a person should have the freedom to choose. But alcohol affects the rest of the society also in both monetary and social costs. NHS is already stretched to the limit and alcohol related problems cost the UK tax payer billions of pounds. What I am trying to point out is not that this article is special it’s the reaction of the common people who think that it’s alright to get drunk/to be an alcoholic. Not a single person wrote in to say that we need to look into the well being of the elderly or use the money raised from this tax to invest into better elderly care. No wonder we are met with such fierce resistance from our fellow men and women when we tell them that we don’t drink, never will, never regret the decision to stop.
Minimum price for alcohol 'will save 50,000 pensioners' - Telegraph
Just a thought
ALLAN K.
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