- JEP readers show support for a tax rise on cigarettes
- But Islanders do not believe that increasing alcohol prices will help tackle high consumption rates
- Island is still listed as as one of the ‘booziest’ places in the world
- Report on drinking in Jersey prompts Health Minister to threaten new legislation on minimum pricing to curb drinking behaviour
ISLANDERS are more willing to back a price rise on cigarettes than on alcohol, according to two polls taken by the JEP.
Following confirmation from a new States report that the Island is still among the top jurisdictions for alcohol consumption per capita, the paper asked whether a price rise could curb drinking in Jersey.
More than 86 per cent of respondents said that such a move would not make a difference.
Meanwhile, following a separate poll earlier this month, more than 60 per cent of readers said that tax on cigarettes should be increased.
This week Health Minister Andrew Green branded Jersey’s drinking levels ‘unacceptable’ after it emerged that alcohol consumption per capita in the Island remained among the highest in the world.
Now, Senator Green said that the States would not be afraid to introduce legislation such as minimum pricing to curb alcohol intake.
However, he said he would prefer that residents changed their behaviour voluntarily first.
Senator Green’s comments followed a report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which found that the average annual intake equivalent to pure alcohol per person across its 34 member countries was 9.1 litres.
Jersey’s intake, which was not included on the list, was reported as being 12.7 litres in 2012.
JERSEY residents have been known to have high rates of alcohol consumption for some time.
The latest States report does not reveal any startling new trend, but it is a reminder that the high levels of drinking in the community remains a concern for authorities at the Health Department.
Islanders have also reacted to news that politicians may be considering the price of alcohol in the future by commenting online through the JEP’s Facebook page.
- Leigh Ruderham wrote: ‘So here we go, put the price of booze up.’
- Sandra Pereira said: ’12 litres a year…that’s disgusting. How one can drink a full litre of alcohol per month is beyond me.’
- Aimée Malorey said: ‘Put the price up, is that the States answer to everything? How about they give people something else to do then…build a music academy and get musicians over to the Island rather than [building] another bloody finance centre, renovate the Fort and get that back to the kinda place it used to be. Put your thinking caps on.’
- Paul Gambling added: ‘If supermarkets and shops were not permitted to sell alcohol and only licensed and controlled premises (bars, restaurants, clubs etc) were, then this might change these stats.’
- Simon Soar said: ‘I’d love to see how they arrived at that figure. I suspect they have taken volume in against population, which, if [this is] the case, doesn’t account for tourists and workers visiting. And what about alcohol taken out? Would be great to see these details a little more clearly.’
