should the price of booze go up to prevent binge drinking

NO I THINK IT IS DEAR ENOUGH NOW,ALSO HOW MORE PUBS AND CLUBS CLOSE DOWN AND MORE PEOPLE OUT OF WORK.

No, I don't think the price should rise. My husband and I rarely drink alcohol - high days and holidays, as the saying goes, not because we're against it, we just got out of the habit and I still use plenty in cooking such as wine, brandy, sherry, port etc etc. I always wonder why people think that increasing the price of items will deter those who buy them. We used to smoke and stopped. The price was part reason, but long-haul flights were the main reason for me and 21 years ago, a new baby in the family was my husband's reason, as well as health problem - but that's another subject. However, the price of cigarettes has risen steadily to an extortionate amount, but it hasn't really stopped those who want to smoke so increasing the price of alcohol or anything else, is NOT a real deterrant and let's face it, it's not the actual price of the stuff that goes up, it;s the tax revenue for the government!

Absolutely not. If a person is addicted to alcohol, they will go without essentials such as food and heat to get their drug of choice. Some will sell anything they can get their hands on, even if the item doesn't belong to them. The next step from there is stealing to fund their addiction. There is also the risk the addict will buy counterfeit alcohol, which can be incredibly dangerous. Or they will make their own. Prohibition did not work and nor will rising the prices of alcohol.

IT`S GONE UP ENOUGH ALREADY & MOST PARENTS WHO DRINK A LOT WILL STILL BUY IT,AND THERE KID WILL GO WITHOUT AGAIN.

I was an advocate for increasing the price of products containing alcohol. Some so called alcopops are sweet so don't taste like the more traditional bitters. Supermarkets loss leading with cheep booze is a main contributor to pub closures [plus the smoking ban indoors]. So addicts can drink and smoke at home while watching their chosen DVD. Cheaper and more fun. But alcohol related injury's cost A&E departments lots of grief, in the skilled time of front line staff. The long suffering tax payer picks up the pieces notwithstanding that, as already pointed out, tax on alcoholic drinks is a major Government income [as is fuel and road tax]. So I first supported price increases, then I red more and became undecided, now I'm not quite sure.