UCL students take a battering in new ‘booze-bill’.

The budget is rarely something students have their eyes fixed upon as Easter approaches. But this year they have something to worry about – a ban on low-cost booze.

David Cameron is aiming to push through a ban on cheap alcohol which will start this summer. There are also plans for a 40p-a-unit law but the EU has recently cried out for foul play.

It’s been estimated that both these measures (if implemented) will add an additional £140 to the booze-bill of hardened drinkers across the UK. What will this mean for UCL students who are balancing alcoholism, London living costs and essay deadlines?
 

The Buzz asked some students what their views were on the plans:

Paul, a second year engineering student, wasn’t even aware that the booze-charge was happening. He said that if the law actually passed there’d be an outcry. “We just love drinking too much,” he shouted as he cracked open another can.

Jane, an English student said that people would just take more drugs, “I can buy a gram of Ket for less than a bottle of Vodka”. They all nodded in agreement that students would always find a way to get cheap kicks, “we can’t afford not to,” Paul joked.

So when UCL students get pissed on a night out, do they drink in bars or clubs?  “No way, we just get battered on sprits before we go," they informed The Buzz.

With shops such as Tesco offering loss leading deals such as own brand sub-£10 bottles of Vodka and Gin, it seems like the best option. As one undergrad said, “Why would you pay a fiver for a beer in a club, when you can buy a six-pack from your corner-shop for the same price?” 

With each pack of cigarettes costing an extra 37p, a big night out looks set to leave a major hole in any pocket, and not just in London.