Australia is considering setting a national minimum price for alcohol and hotels are already fighting back. The Australian Hotels Association (AHA) is asking the federal government to reject a minimum price on alcohol that is being considered by its new preventative health agency.
In an effort to improve the health of Australians, the Australian National Preventative Health Agency (ANPHA) is considering setting a starting price for alcohol sales in the country, but the AHA is against it.
"The introduction of a floor price would force up drink prices across the spectrum as brands reposition themselves and impact on the majority of moderate consumers rather than on problem drinkers," said AHA National CEO Des Crowe, as quoted by The Shout.
The AHA argues that the minimum price rule would affect those who drink responsibly the most as alcoholics are likely to continue their abuse of alcohol regardless of what the price is. They believe that it would cause a financial hardship for a majority of people, without curbing the alcohol intake of those who have a problem.
"The AHA has provided its submission urging the Federal Government to first observe the impact and results of the recently-legislated Scottish 50-pence minimum standard drink price before considering options for adopting such a radical policy here in Australia," Crowe said, according to The Shout.
Scotland already created a minimum price for alcohol, however the Scotch Whisky Associations (SWA) is trying to fight those laws as well. The AHA wants the government to keep a watch on Scotland's law to see if it actually does help curb alcohol problems before they really consider putting the law into place for Australia.
The AHA agrees that certain small population with alcohol problems have access to cheap alcohol, but they argue that "there is no justification for a national response to a localised problem." The AHA suggests staging interventions for problem drinkers instead of imposing a national alcohol price that would affect everyone.
The Australian Liquor Stores Association's will also have an argument against the minimum alcohol price.
New Zealand is also considering a minimum-price policy as they believe it will lower the rate of alcohol abuse.
