5 ms·

On the other hand, maybe some are moving on to harder stuff? https://www.economist.com/britain/2019/07/18/scotland-overtakes-america-as-the-worlds-drug-overdose

On the other hand, maybe some are moving on to harder stuff? https://www.economist.com/britain/2019/07/18/scotland-overtakes-america-as-the-worlds-drug-overdose-capital https://www.economist.com/britain/2019/07/18/scotland-overta...

nmeofthestate 7y ago
That's a long-standing problem - middle-aged addicts are starting to suffer from a lifetime of drug abuse. But yeah, maybe if you can't get ultra-cheap cider you pop out for some heroin instead.
tonyedgecombe 7y ago
Three-quarters of the dead were men and three-quarters were aged over 35. This problem has been creeping up for a while, many of these people have been abusing themselves for a long time and are now paying the price.
krilly 7y ago
That's been the experience among my circle of friends (cash strapped students). Why spend a fortune on beer when you can get a strong pill for a fiver?
- fhbdukfrh 7y ago
  I've also heard this proposed as a risk of vaping. You get hooked on nicotine, can no longer afford expensive e-juice and switch to cigarettes. I think it's too early to know if this is the case, but the complete opposite of what vaping promoters try to sell
- nmeofthestate 7y ago
  Minimum unit pricing doesn't really affect beer - certainly not in a way that makes it cost a "fortune". It makes cans cost a few pence more than ones that you could get on a special offer in England. And people have been taking pills forever - it's not something people have started resorting to now they have to pay fifty pence more to get pissed on lager.
  - twic 7y ago
    To put some numbers on this, Stella Artois is 4.8%, so a 568 ml can contains 27.264 ml of alcohol, or 2.7264 units. A minimum price of 50p a unit establishes a minimum price of £1.3632 per can, or £5.4528 per four-pack. Tesco currently sells four-packs in England for £5.50: https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/250317180 https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/250317180
    - benj111 7y ago
      I thought the minimum pricing was to price out special brew/ strong ciders. If Stella is on the cusp of getting caught in the net, that must surely include most Alcohol. I wonder if home brew is getting more popular in Scotland?
    - throwaway13249 7y ago
      Nearly all grocers in England (Asda, Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrions) will have a weekly offer on crates, you can nearly always find 20 crates of stella for 20 quid (20x400mlx2). I guess these aren't available in Scotland? You only really pay over a fiver a four pack when you're in a rush at the co-op or tesco express, if you're in the big store you'll change 4 stella to four kroneberg for 3.29 or whatever similar, on mainstream lagers anyway
      - twic 7y ago
        True. I suppose pound-a-tin Polish beers from the corner shop would go away too.
DanBC 7y ago
England and Wales have also seena significant rise in drug related death, without moving to MUP for alcohol. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/deathsrelatedtodrugpoisoninginenglandandwales/2018registrations https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsde...

nmeofthestate 7y ago

That's a long-standing problem - middle-aged addicts are starting to suffer from a lifetime of drug abuse. But yeah, maybe if you can't get ultra-cheap cider you pop out for some heroin instead.

tonyedgecombe 7y ago

Three-quarters of the dead were men and three-quarters were aged over 35. This problem has been creeping up for a while, many of these people have been abusing themselves for a long time and are now paying the price.

krilly 7y ago

That's been the experience among my circle of friends (cash strapped students). Why spend a fortune on beer when you can get a strong pill for a fiver?

fhbdukfrh 7y ago
I've also heard this proposed as a risk of vaping. You get hooked on nicotine, can no longer afford expensive e-juice and switch to cigarettes. I think it's too early to know if this is the case, but the complete opposite of what vaping promoters try to sell
nmeofthestate 7y ago
Minimum unit pricing doesn't really affect beer - certainly not in a way that makes it cost a "fortune". It makes cans cost a few pence more than ones that you could get on a special offer in England. And people have been taking pills forever - it's not something people have started resorting to now they have to pay fifty pence more to get pissed on lager.
- twic 7y ago
  To put some numbers on this, Stella Artois is 4.8%, so a 568 ml can contains 27.264 ml of alcohol, or 2.7264 units. A minimum price of 50p a unit establishes a minimum price of £1.3632 per can, or £5.4528 per four-pack. Tesco currently sells four-packs in England for £5.50: https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/250317180 https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/250317180
  - benj111 7y ago
    I thought the minimum pricing was to price out special brew/ strong ciders. If Stella is on the cusp of getting caught in the net, that must surely include most Alcohol. I wonder if home brew is getting more popular in Scotland?
  - throwaway13249 7y ago
    Nearly all grocers in England (Asda, Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrions) will have a weekly offer on crates, you can nearly always find 20 crates of stella for 20 quid (20x400mlx2). I guess these aren't available in Scotland? You only really pay over a fiver a four pack when you're in a rush at the co-op or tesco express, if you're in the big store you'll change 4 stella to four kroneberg for 3.29 or whatever similar, on mainstream lagers anyway
    - twic 7y ago
      True. I suppose pound-a-tin Polish beers from the corner shop would go away too.

DanBC 7y ago

England and Wales have also seena significant rise in drug related death, without moving to MUP for alcohol. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/deathsrelatedtodrugpoisoninginenglandandwales/2018registrations https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsde...