The New Laws Regarding Alcohol

Did anyone listen today to Minister for Justice, Brian Lenihan TD on RTÉ News at One? Imo it was a tour de force by the Minister. He spoke clearly, fluently and with an intimate grasp of the complex legislation being proposed.

I admired the fair-minded balance being brought to this new Bill and the changes to laws related to alcoholic drinks. I envisage a significant drop in alcohol-related incidents as long as the new legislation is rigorously and consistently applied.

Does anyone else agree with me?

What is the new legislation being implemented Ard?

Edo wrote:

What is the new legislation being implemented Ard?

I'm not sure, but it strikes me as being one big Omnibus Bill which addresses a whole range of concerns and problems.

Here's an RTÉ link about it.

Dunno Ard - it strikes me as one big Nannystate bill to be honest.

Then again - I dont know what else can be done ,because I have to deal in the culture I live in and the way that society and especially the elite of the society that I live in, view this issue which is prohibition and a rather dickensian/victorian view of the hoi polloi.

I can see plenty of the lockemup, hangemhigh and ban everything brigade in my own party (FG) really going for this and the rest of the we want to tell how to butter your toast community aswell.

I sympathise with Minster Lenihan because he is between a rock and a hard place on this - with a very limited scope of what will be socially acceptable and conservative enough to pass muster with his party and our ruling classes.

Edo wrote:

I sympathise with Minster Lenihan because he is between a rock and a hard place on this - with a very limited scope of what will be socially acceptable and conservative enough to pass muster with his party and our ruling classes.

Perhaps it is a bit intrusive, but there doesn't seem to be a mature attitude in this country to alcohol, does there? Maybe we have no right to be treated as adults wrt alcohol laws since we aren't behaving as such.

I think the amount of Dutch Gold, Stronbow Cider, Druid's Cider and suchlike's cans strewn all over our highways and byways illustrate that we have to have a fundamental re-think on how we approach alcohol in this country.

This bill seems to be a step in the right direction.

Ard

We're the greatest feckers in Europe for passing "tough" legislation on issues like this - we pass the law - we feel great - "we're doing something to curb the scurge of drink - and then we go off to the bar and get plastered celebrating our achievement.

Lets look at the 3 main thrusts of this legislation:

Off licences to close by 10pm - big deal - even more reason to get even more earlier to make sure you wont run out - its the madness of final call all over again - total cosmetics.

Off licences in retail outlets and garages etc etc to be partitioned off from the main store - Yeah that ll really stop somebody from drinking!

CCTV mania in all Pubs and Clubs - God its great to live in a free country 1984 here we come.

If anybody can come on here and tell me how any of the above measures is going to even blow the dust of the tip of the iceberg that is our drinking problem culture - well step right up - Im all ears.

Doing something to be seen to be doing something is all I can see.

No guts,imagination and courage to really take a long term view and address the problem.

There are apparently also new powers for the Gardaí in the Bill, for confiscating booze and using minors in sting operations on off licences etc.

Sounds lip-servicey but I didn't read the link.

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

Edo wrote:

I sympathise with Minster Lenihan because he is between a rock and a hard place on this - with a very limited scope of what will be socially acceptable and conservative enough to pass muster with his party and our ruling classes.

Perhaps it is a bit intrusive, but there doesn't seem to be a mature attitude in this country to alcohol, does there? Maybe we have no right to be treated as adults wrt alcohol laws since we aren't behaving as such.

I think the amount of Dutch Gold, Stronbow Cider, Druid's Cider and suchlike's cans strewn all over our highways and byways illustrate that we have to have a fundamental re-think on how we approach alcohol in this country.

This bill seems to be a step in the right direction.

I know it's a cliche, but licensing laws on the continent are much more liberal than here and the attitude towards alcohol is generally a lot more 'mature'.

I have conflicting views on these proposals, but ultimately I'd find myself siding with Edo. Overall I prefer the State to stay out of the private lives of its adult citizens as much as possible. Certainly I would be very annoyed if off licences were prevented from selling cheap beer. I very much like my €1 bottles of Warsteiner thanks very much, and I'm well able to drink 3 or 4 and leave it at that.

On the other hand, there's clearly a serious problem in society in general, and some of these proposals are worthwhile. In particular I'd welcome a blitz on those convenience stores that fill their window displays with cans of Dutch and Bavaria. If nothing else, it's horribly tacky and makes us look like a bunch of drunken scoby students (which maybe many of us are).

More and more I think we missed a chance when McDowell's plans for cafe bars were defeated. We could do with learning about the pleasure of having a few drinks with a meal or a snack and then going off home, rather than always just ensconsing ourselves in dark pubs for 6 hours at a time

Edo wrote:

Ard

We're the greatest feckers in Europe for passing "tough" legislation on issues like this - we pass the law - we feel great - "we're doing something to curb the scurge of drink - and then we go off to the bar and get plastered celebrating our achievement.

Lets look at the 3 main thrusts of this legislation:

Off licences to close by 10pm - big deal - even more reason to get even more earlier to make sure you wont run out - its the madness of final call all over again - total cosmetics.

Off licences in retail outlets and garages etc etc to be partitioned off from the main store - Yeah that ll really stop somebody from drinking!

CCTV mania in all Pubs and Clubs - God its great to live in a free country 1984 here we come.

If anybody can come on here and tell me how any of the above measures is going to even blow the dust of the tip of the iceberg that is our drinking problem culture - well step right up - Im all ears.

Doing something to be seen to be doing something is all I can see.

No guts,imagination and courage to really take a long term view and address the problem.

Hear hear!!

Well said.

Here's a few tips that would curb our alcohol problem somewhat. Though they'll never be implemented as they'd put a bit of a damper in cash flow.

i. Ban all advertising of alcohol.
ii. Ban the practice of alcohol companies sponsoring events and every other area they weasel into.
iii. Impose significant jail sentences on people who sell or provide alcohol to minors.
iv. Because alcohol impairs different people at different levels, set the acceptable level of drink taken when driving to zero.
v. Ban political donations from alcohol companies.
vi. Estimate the cost of treating drunk folks in our emergency wards and add this onto the tax bill already imposed on alcohol companies.
vii. Estimate the longtime care costs for treating people with alcohol related problems and bung this onto the tax bill too.
viii. Reduce the taxes on alcohol purchases by consumers. Before doing this put a price cap on what can be charged for alcohol by the suppliers. This would prevent the Government treating the cash cow as a sacred cow. Wean our government off the drink and everyone else will follow.
ix. Estimate how much homelessness is caused by alcohol and strip this amount from alcohol companies too. Then use this cash to invest in the homeless. Suitably, build homes etc., in close proximity to our elected representatives so that they may gauge how well they are representing their electorate (okay I'm being sarcastic here - I can't help it ).

Edo wrote:

Off licences in retail outlets and garages etc etc to be partitioned off from the main store - Yeah that ll really stop somebody from drinking!

This one is hilarious. And in my mind a ploy to get unemployed builders easy money, and somewhere they can spend all day creating these little partitioned off licences in Texacos and Centras all over Ireland while having breakfast rolls for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

More stupid fucking shite.

Every second shop in France sells wine. In the newsagents, they stack it beside the sweets and newspapers FFS.

But we have to have a seperately resourced force field controlled partitioned outlet.

such weak do nothing bill