The British government is preparing to introduce a new legislation that sets the minimum price for alcoholic beverages. The British government said that this move was aimed at preventing the spread of abuse of alcoholism, and that merchants were "irresponsible" in selling cheap wine, which encouraged "vicious drinking behavior."

The winter in Britain is cold and damp. Inviting two or three friends and family in front of a warm fireplace, drinking a few glasses of wine is one of the few enjoyments. Especially in the economic downturn, drinking whisky also has the effect of relieving worry. However, the British will soon suffer from this little enjoyment, because the British government is ready to introduce a new legislation that sets the minimum price for alcoholic beverages.

According to the legislation in question, the minimum price of a bottle of beer or cider in England and Wales in the future will not be lower than 1.56 pounds, and each bottle of wine will be no less than 4.22 pounds. In addition, supermarkets and retailers are restricted from attracting customers through the sale of alcoholic beverages. Afterwards, discounted promotional words such as “buy one get one free” can no longer appear on the supermarket shelves.

The British government said that this move was aimed at preventing the spread of abuse of alcoholism, and that merchants were "irresponsible" in selling cheap wine, which encouraged "vicious drinking behavior." Although the frequency of drinking in the United Kingdom is not the highest in Europe, once they drink it, they are not intoxicated.

Statistics from the United Kingdom's Interior Ministry show that crimes and riots caused by alcoholism cost taxpayers 8 billion to 13 billion pounds a year. British Prime Minister Cameron thinks that cheap wine is the key to the problem. Some alcoholic drinks are even lower in price than mineral water. According to a study by the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom, if the price of alcoholic beverages is increased, the annual average sales of alcoholic beverages in England and Wales will decrease by 4.3%.

The heavy drinking of the people has placed a heavy burden on British society and the medical system. Last year, as many as one million cases of alcohol abuse occurred, and 1.2 million people were sent to the hospital due to excessive drinking. Experts in the liver disease published in the medical journal The Lancet predicted that in the next 20 years, there may be 250 000 people in the UK who have died of alcohol-related problems. British government drug advisors David Nat and Leslie King even claimed that alcohol exceeds heroin and cocaine, which is more harmful to individuals and society in the UK.

It is undoubted that the minimum price of alcohol is a measure for drastically reducing wages. The survey shows that in the next decade, local hospitals will receive 66,000 fewer people each year due to alcohol abuse, and about 2,000 people will die each year due to alcohol poisoning. The new law also predicts that crimes caused by alcohol abuse will decrease by approximately 24,000 annually.

“In addition to medical experts who support the minimum price of alcohol, they also include tax officials. This will undoubtedly add a disguised “drinking tax” to Britain’s already unfilled treasury.

The economy has been sluggish, people’s purses have become thin, and the amount of alcohol they drink has become smaller and cheaper. If you set a minimum price, many good drinkers will have to spend a winter without wine.