According to the Google keyword checklist many people search under the term ‘alcohol statistics’. What does this mean? Is there a large group of researchers, students, or medical staff who need information, or is this used by governments to bring out another bill on alcohol taxation using the electronic highway to obtain information?
Governments in Europe are looking into, or have already accepted a bill to raise tax on alcohol in the hope that this will curb excessive drinking. But does the price of alcohol really make that much difference and make a positive change to alcohol statistics?
Research shows that problems related to alcohol are not restricted to the ‘poor’ but are amazingly common throughout all levels of society.
So-called “functioning alcoholics” – often well-educated – who still manage to hold down jobs and take care of families in spite of their often serious problems, will not hesitate to pay extra to satisfy their addiction. Alcoholics who are not financially stable have an unstoppable urge to drink and will not think twice about paying a few pounds more for a bottle, always finding ways, if necessary, illegal ways, to pay for their addiction. This bill will not affect alcoholics in any way.
Health organizations warn that our hospitals are full of young people due to alcohol-related health problems, which is a huge burden on their health budget. In today’s culture, many (young) people do not seem to have any problem consuming, and paying for, anything upward of 10 to 15 shots on an average weekend night out. Even though the price for one shot usually far exceeds the price of an entire bottle from the local supermarket. So to suggest that this large group will be positively affected by the new Bill is highly unlikely!
To agree to a European law on alcohol legislation seems silly in itself since prices in various countries greatly differ. When you buy a bottle of wine or spirits in a supermarket in Spain you will only pay a fraction of the price compared to alcoholic beverages in, for example, the UK.
‘Governmental bodies’ in Western society often seem to be totally out of touch with reality, consulting alcohol statistics drawn up by scientists who, depending on the body they are working for, can frequently be just as much out of touch with real life situations. And clearly not aware that a hike in tax on alcoholic drinks seems to be just another tax on the poor and desperate, who are, quite frankly, the only group in society to suffer from this.
Alcohol statistics are usually drawn up by researchers and then consulted mainly by other researchers. Not usually very appealing and educational for those who could really do with some real human facts through examples of fellow human beings!