What are your thoughts on Alcohol

[Almagarde]

Something like eighty percent of violent crime involves the over consumption of Alcohol. Any thoughts on how to solve this problem?

Sean

[RoI2]

It's excellent as long as you know your limits.... and then break them.

[Sidebody]

Rather than increasing punishment for those involved in alcohol related crime the focus should be on reducing the binge drinking culture itself. Banning the advertising of alcohol is one such method as is setting a price per unit.

[Lucky Bicycle Works]

My thoughts on alcohol are inferior to my thoughts when sober.

[Eternal Mysteries]

Something like eighty percent of violent crime involves the over consumption of Alcohol. Any thoughts on how to solve this problem?

Sean

Ethanol is the most powerful pyschoactive known to man. why do you think it is consumed so regularly.

It isn't going away. But what should be eliminated are the Schedule 1 Drug Laws against other useful alternative psychoactives.

Do some research before you make up some retarded poll !!!

[Saige Dragon]

My thoughts on alcohol are inferior to my thoughts when sober.

Are you kidding me? That's when my most daring and manly ideas come to me. Take for example, this past labor day weekend. Not only did I fight the ground and win, but I did it using my face alone (or so they say, I don't quite remember). I am also missing all the hair off my right forearm, it may or may not have had something to do with fire. I suspect it did.

[Nodinia]

Something like eighty percent of violent crime involves the over consumption of Alcohol. Any thoughts on how to solve this problem?

Sean

Legalise the ganja.....Few tokes or a cookie or two helps take that aggressive edge off, especially if you're on the whiskey or vodka.

(I'm no longer a regular boozer, but thats the way it worked for me)

[Mortshnefran]

Something like eighty percent of violent crime involves the over consumption of Alcohol. Any thoughts on how to solve this problem?

Sean

where are you getting that statistic?

no need to fix. some humans are always going to find a way to get fucked up, and some are going to be violent.

[Abdju]

The way we approach alcohol in the UK is totally defective, and it has a corrosive effect on our culture and society. However the "Saudi Approach" (total ban) would only force the problem underground and lead to more crime, just as it does in Saudi Arabia. As such, I think a fully comprehensive approach is needed.

1. Restrict sales and distribution to hotels and restaurants (no off licences and supermarket sales, or any other form of retail sales except restaurant) where it can be sold once as part of a meal (4 guests, 4 orders, that's it), and may not be taken out of the establishment. Such places should be licensed and supervised.

2. Where alcohol is sold, it may only be sold by measure glass, not bottle or can.

2. Get serious about prosecuting alcohol related offences, particularly alcohol fuelled violence and disorder. This is not only a case of having tougher penalties, but also increasing prosecutions. There is no point in threatening someone with the stick if there is only a 1/100 chance they will ever have to face up to their day in court. I wouldn't be opposed to the idea of caning, but because of the existing nature of the judicial system, it would be legally easier and culturally less controversial to have a mandatory minimum 3 month custodial sentence.

3. Raise the tax significantly and across the whole range of drinks, but focusing on those most commonly abused.

4. Home brewing should be licensed and restricted to certain regulations including the nature and quantity of the brewing permitted. If people want to experiment with traditional brews then there's no issue, but if using it as a way to have an binge fuelled punch up, no.

Basically, actual temperance, not prohibition.

[Sidebody]

no need to fix. some humans are always going to find a way to get fucked up, and some are going to be violent.

So you're saying that since we can't completely eliminate alcohol related crime we shouldn't do anything to try and reduce it?

[Abdju]

It's excellent as long as you know your limits....

Most people don't. Never ever make the mistake of crediting the public with any degree of intellect, you'll only be disappointed.

and then break them.

Nuff said.

[Mortshnefran]

no need to fix. some humans are always going to find a way to get fucked up, and some are going to be violent.

So you're saying that since we can't completely eliminate alcohol related crime we shouldn't do anything to try and reduce it?

any belief that you can reduce it through regulation of the product, is ludicrous. you could set up counsiling, you could add time to sentences for crimes commited under the influence, i doubt these would work much better but they at least have a shot. forms of prohibition do not work. then of course there is the whole question of whether it is legally justifiable.

[Risottia]

Something like eighty percent of violent crime involves the over consumption of Alcohol. Any thoughts on how to solve this problem?

Something like eighty percent of stats found on fora involve making them on the spot.

Anyway, the best thing to do is to educate people to use alcohol (if they want it) without abusing thereof. That is, have kids at 12 begin drinking some wine or beer, possibily in the family. Then free rein at 18 - though I think we could use some higher taxes on alcohol over 20% and pre-mixed alcoholic beverages like rum coolers etc. It's better to drink a couple of glasses of whisky than to have a couple of cocktails - with cocktails one is less conscious of the amount of alcohol he's drinking.

And use the increased profits to fund more controls (roadside tests, enforcing the prohibition to sell alcohol to who's already drunk). With huge penalties (like revoking driving license for ten years).

That is, create a culture of proper use of alcohol instead of banning it altogether: this only makes young people want to get drunk - because it's forbidden. This way instead you teach the kids that while drinking alcohol is normal, binging is just stupid.

[Mortshnefran]

The way we approach alcohol in the UK is totally defective, and it has a corrosive effect on our culture and society. However the "Saudi Approach" (total ban) would only force the problem underground and lead to more crime, just as it does in Saudi Arabia. As such, I think a fully comprehensive approach is needed.

1. Restrict sales and distribution to hotels and restaurants (no off licences and supermarket sales, or any other form of retail sales except restaurant) where it can be sold once as part of a meal (4 guests, 4 orders, that's it), and may not be taken out of the establishment. Such places should be licences and supervised.

2. Where alcohol is sold, it may only be sold by measure glass, not bottle or can.

2. Get serious about prosecuting alcohol related offences, particularly alcohol fuelled violence and disorder. This is not only a case of having tougher penalties, but also increasing prosecutions. There is no point in threatening someone with the stick if there is only a 1/100 chance they will ever have to face up to their day in court. I wouldn't be opposed to the idea of caning, but because of the existing nature of the judicial system, it would be legally easier and culturally less controversial to have a mandatory minimum 3 month custodial sentence.

3. Raise the tax significantly and across the whole range of drinks, but focusing on those most commonly abused.

4. Home brewing should be licences and restricted to certain regulations including the nature and quantity of the brewing permitted. If people want to experiment with traditional brews then there's no issue, but if using it as a way to have an binge fuelled punch up, no.

Basically, actual temperance, not prohibition.

this does not come as a surprise from a father knows best state, but everything you state here is the antithesis of freedom and personal responsibility. i would truly despise living under your rule and would likely become a terrorist.

[Risottia]

1. Restrict sales and distribution to hotels and restaurants (no off licences and supermarket sales, or any other form of retail sales except restaurant) where it can be sold once as part of a meal (4 guests, 4 orders, that's it), and may not be taken out of the establishment. Such places should be licences and supervised.

2. Where alcohol is sold, it may only be sold by measure glass, not bottle or can.

...

Basically, actual temperance, not prohibition.

So one cannot have a bottle of wine at home for his bloody dinner.

What. The. Fuck. Bloody Talibans.

[Tubbsalot]

i ... would likely become a terrorist.

I'm sure this sentence has made everyone take you seriously, rather than exposing you as a crackpot.

[Mortshnefran]

i ... would likely become a terrorist.

I'm sure this sentence has made everyone take you seriously, rather than exposing you as a crackpot.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I've been to Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and I can say without hyperbole that this is a million times worse than all of them put together." Kent Brockman

[Discount Liquor World]

Nanny-state bullshit.

[Lucky Bicycle Works]

Nanny-state bullshit.

I take it you oppose the criminalization of marijuana, heroin, crack cocaine and PCP?

I do. Not one drug or pharmaceutical should be banned, providing that it not be sold directly to children and that it not be misrepresented as any drug which it is not.

[Eofaerwic]

Something like eighty percent of violent crime involves the over consumption of Alcohol. Any thoughts on how to solve this problem?

Something like eighty percent of stats found on fora involve making them on the spot.

Anyway, the best thing to do is to educate people to use alcohol (if they want it) without abusing thereof. That is, have kids at 12 begin drinking some wine or beer, possibily in the family. Then free rein at 18 - though I think we could use some higher taxes on alcohol over 20% and pre-mixed alcoholic beverages like rum coolers etc. It's better to drink a couple of glasses of whisky than to have a couple of cocktails - with cocktails one is less conscious of the amount of alcohol he's drinking.

And use the increased profits to fund more controls (roadside tests, enforcing the prohibition to sell alcohol to who's already drunk). With huge penalties (like revoking driving license for ten years).

That is, create a culture of proper use of alcohol instead of banning it altogether: this only makes young people want to get drunk - because it's forbidden. This way instead you teach the kids that while drinking alcohol is normal, binging is just stupid.

This ^. It's amazing what being introduced to sensible alcohol consumption at a young age does to older drinking. Take for example me and my two best friends. I grew up in Belgium, where the attitude to alcohol is very different from the UK. I started having a small glass of wine with a meal at special occasions (generally Christmas) when I was quite young (I think about 12ish) and it was quite normal by 16 that if me and my friends gathered for a small house party (with parents around) that there would be a very small number of low alcohol drinks there (say 1 Bacardi Breezer each for the whole evening). I have never had a desire to go binge drinking, I drink alcoholic drinks because I do enjoy the taste, not as a means to get drunk. And though on occasion I have been known to over-indulge (very rarely), this has generally been due to poor judgement over the effect of mixing drinks rather than any desire really get drunk.

Both my friends grew up in the UK, one was similarly introduced to wine at a young age with meals and, though possibly drinking a bit more than me (I am, I would add a bit of a lightweight), is very similar in attitude towards drink. Particularly, like me, he is more interested in drinking low quantities of good alcohol (he's more whiskey, I prefer my port or good cider) than large quantities of poor alcohol. My other friend only really started drinking when he got older and wasn't introduced to alcohol at home and probably drinks the most out of all of us. Now, he still has a quite healthy attitude to drinking (I wouldn't socialise with him as much if he was into binge drinking) but he definitly has less emphasis on quality of alcohol and social aspects.

Yes, these are annecdotes, I will admit, but I think they are supported by the drinking cultures in various countries depending on how tabboo alcohol is considered. The more european way I think is to be encouraged and rather than working to ban alcohol, instead normalise it so it no longer becomes some big right of passage to binge and get horrifically drunk. Instead we need to emphasise safe, responsible alcohol consumption.

[Lucky Bicycle Works]

Something like eighty percent of violent crime involves the over consumption of Alcohol. Any thoughts on how to solve this problem?

Sean

Ethanol is the most powerful pyschoactive known to man me. why do you think it is consumed so regularly.

Fixed.

And alcohol is used so regularly because it is legal and does not require a prescription. More strongly psychoactive drugs are prescribed to children!

In fact, you have to look to Nicotine or Purpills for a less psychoactive drug.

Please stop abusing the smilies like that. The is to show affection, the is to show respect, the is to show enjoyment regardless of others.

If you need a signature line, for fuck's sake use the forum's signature function. You look like an idiot emoting like that ... apparently in response to your own post.

[Abdju]

this does not come as a surprise from a father knows best state, but everything you state here is the antithesis of freedom and personal responsibility.

You know, it'd be a wonderful thing if people would at least try to understand those words, rather then just repeat them as a mantra.

i would truly despise living under your rule and would likely become a terrorist.

Because blowing people up endears them to your cause, and lend both weight and credibility to your talk of freedom and personal responsibility.

So one cannot have a bottle of wine at home for his bloody dinner.

What. The. Fuck. Bloody Talibans.

No, the Taliban banned alcohol. I specifically don't favour the "Saudi Solution".

[Lucky Bicycle Works]

No, the Taliban banned alcohol. I specifically don't favour the "Saudi Solution".

More the Clayton's Saudi Solution. The drink you have when you're only having one drink.

What I want to know, is what you do about the restaurant crawl. Folks come in, have one drink with dinner (which they only eat half of) and then move on to the next restaurant.

Expensive, yes, but they could get pretty bloody drunk that way. Particularly if they stopped between restaurants to stick their fingers down their throat.

[Sidebody]

Expensive, yes, but they could get pretty bloody drunk that way. Particularly if they stopped between restaurants to stick their fingers down their throat.

Expensive is the main part of that. No-one would be able to maintain a binge drinking lifestyle with the ridiculous prices charges in restaurants.

[Kapek]

I'm surprised you included "Decrease the legal age." in the poll, but neglected to allude to the opposite "Increase the legal age." I reckons 21 is good, you can kinda tell when a 13 year old is trying to fake 21, it might just be round here in Norfolk.

Or we could just use America's tactics and not make any good beer at all That'll get people to stop drinking in excess