Drink on the agenda again

What is this obsession for banning cheap booze? Greater Manchester is looking to bring in its own ban with a minimum price of 50p a unit for alcohol. The slim chance of getting that through all the legal hoops necessary do make you wander whether there are perhaps more important things for the 10 councils to be worrying about - and spending the ratepayer's money on - in these hard times but we will let that pass.

It is also high risk. If drunken yobs don't vanish and city centre streets don't become a haven of peace and tranquility on a Saturday night those paying more for their own tipple at home are most unlikely to vote for those who put up the prices.

Now I am no expert on what goes on in what passes for a mind of the regular puke and pass out binge drinker but I suspect that price is not the major consideration. As I have said before look across the Channel and you will find booze is cheaper than even the most generous cut price offer here yet they don't have the same problems with drunks and drinking.

So to anyone with an ounce of common sense that should indicate that the problem is social rather than financial and that putting prices up, apart from boosting the profits of supermarkets and brewers, would only really hit the sensible drinkers. The ordinary folk who seem to pay for everything.

The Government's chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, i up for this sort of thing. He wants £4.50 as a minimum for a bottle of wine, £5.50 for two litres of cider, £6 for a six pack of lager and £14 for a bottle of Scotch as minimum prices.

Of course if you question the logic of these hare brained schemes you are accused of wanting to virtually kill people with you bare hands with Sir Liam's figures trotted out that such a scheme would see 3,393 fewer deaths, 97,900 fewer hospital admissions, 45,800 fewer crimes, 296,900 fewer sick days, 12,400 fewer people unemployed and would benefit society by £1bn a year.

How these figures are arrived at is a mystery. Still Sir Liam does have form on predictions and projections when it comes to health. Remember Swine Flu? That cost us £1.2 billion. We ordered 132 million doses of vaccine as predicted half the population would be infected and there would be 65,000 deaths.

Just another 64,974 to go Sir Liam.