Saturday 24 March 2012

Now Look What You've Done, Dave

Rather than sit in an ivory tower like Cameron and his few supporters on minimum pricing, The Times went out and asked 'binge-drinking kids' about the policy.

Sadly hidden behind the paywall, it's worth quoting a few passages.
None of the group [of 16 to 19 year olds] seems remotely bothered about threats to make alcohol more expensive. They will simply take more drugs. “I can get a gram of ketamine for £10,” says Bella, who gets a £20 weekly allowance from her mum. “Adults don’t know how many drugs people our age take,” she adds, breezily. “It’s only a tiny bit more for drugs [than alcohol].” If cheap vodka becomes unaffordable, she knows she’ll still be able to spend her money on mephedrone or MDMA.

Mephedrone, or miaow-miaow, costs £15-£20, adds her friend.

[...]

Their attitude was shared by most of the teenagers who spoke toThe Times yesterday. Not one believed that higher pricing of alcohol would stop them getting drunk, and more than a few suggested they would probably take more drugs.

[...]

Would it make any difference to them, if the Government set a minimum price of 40p per unit? “All my friends take drugs [as well], so if the price goes up people are gonna start dropping [Ecstasy] pills more. You can get four pills for a tenner.”
Now, I might be wrong, but I don't reckon the idea of kids being pushed towards drugs, thanks to a Cameron pet policy, is going to go down very well in the true blue shires.

You're a bit of a berk, aren't you Dave?

H/T Educator Caz


10 comments:

Oldrightie said...

Your final question is without argument.

Sam Duncan said...

I shouldn't, but I laughed.

…Zaph said...

Mr Prime Minister, meet the law of unintended consequences. I'm sure you two will get along like a house on fire.

Hengist and Horsa said...

let us be fair to "puppet" Dave and his Ministers,government policy and strategy is decided by flat chested tartlettes and round shouldered
halfmen in Greenwich Vegan Bistros.
The Cabinet just rubber stamp anything put in front of them to avoid
string pullers spitting their dummies out and filling the Guardian and Independent with pious anger.
Take  the TOKEN femme Theresa May,in the job to keep the BEEB at bay,
as for the Opposition Front bench,they've still got their parachutes on.
The decline of the English People quite simply is the product of The
Commons.

Fresh Start 

Dick_Puddlecote said...

So you should. It's bloody hilarious, I now can't stop imaging Cameron in a clown suit. 

Dick_Puddlecote said...

Oh, there's more. The repercussions are going to run for quite a few days at least. Prohibitionists have seized on Friday's lunacy already - watch this space. ;)

ivandenisovich said...

I beg to differ on the "a bit" part. 

Lyn Ladds said...

The thing is, these kids don't even need to spend £10 on dodgy drugs when a few over the counter painkillers, such as neurofen and parecetomol work very will with a little alcohol when it comes to getting drunk for less!

Of course, with things like paracetomol, in particular, they can be even more dangerous to the liver than alcohol, so that should keep these so called 'liver specialists' busier than they already are!

I remember telling my daughter, when she was approaching her teens, that actions have reactions and they are not always what we expect them to be, so before making rash decisions or choices, think through all the possible outcomes.  It has stood her in good stead.  Perhaps Cam and his circus of clowns should take note!  After all, a few string pullers spitting their dummies out, is nothing compared to the potential and likely additional harm this policy will cause to the youngsters.

Michael McFadden said...

Dick, you say, "
Prohibitionists have seized on Friday's lunacy already - watch this space. ;)"

This should be fun:  the anti-alcohol Prohibitionists vs. the anti-drug Prohibitionists.  I wonder what the Antismokers will have to add to the mix?

- MJM

Dr.Evil said...

I laughed. Excellent piece of unintendedconsequences. Is this man Cameron really basking in a political deathwish? Governments that screw aound with beer and drinks get kicked out.