9:24a.m. 19th May 2008

| Alan Lander and AAP

Medicos predicted it would happen – and it did.

The increased excise imposed on so-called alcopops – which has placed price increases of up to $1.30 on a bottle or can of the pre-mixed , sweetly flavoured alcoholic drinks – has already sent customers in the direction of full-sized spirit bottles and cola or similar additives.

Many believe that the early trend could see teenage binge drinkers encountering even bigger alcohol problems because of the likelihood the mixed drinks will be more potent.

Coast bottle shops have reported a decrease in sales of alcopops since the tax hit – but the same customers are now buying bottles of rum, scotch or bourbon instead.

The Daily spoke to bottle shop workers in Maleny, Nambour and Noosa, all of whom asked not to be identified beyond their first names, who confirmed the alcopop customers’ new drinks of choice.

Larry in Maleny said the new tax was “a joke”.

“We are getting a lot of agitated people coming in – not kids but middle class-type people who would just like to buy one or two to take home for a drink after work.

“They are just changing drinks; they are buying a bottle of spirit now, then go across the road (to the supermarket) and buy 24 cans of Coke for $15.

“It’s just revenue.”

Sean in Nambour agreed.

“(And) if they can’t afford the spirits they’ll buy a cheap flagon of wine,” he said.

“If anything it will increase crime rates as (young drinkers ) will just try to steal alcohol instead.”

Allan in Noosa confirmed the trend there, saying sales were not slipping, just changing emphasis.

Coast medical association representative Wayne Herdy was not surprised.

“It reflects exactly what we predicted would happen,” he said.

“I spoke to a number of teenage girls about this, and they said they would buy bottles of spirit instead.”

Dr Herdy said alcopops were one of two “tricks” drinks companies used to attract young people, milky drinks being the other.

“They are clearly aimed at hooking young drinkers who may not like the taste of alcohol,” he said.

Dr Herdy said despite the tax “not having quite the effect” the federal government wanted, it was “highly desirable” to place whatever barriers it could to curb young people’s binge drinking.

The Rudd government imposed the 70% excise increase in late April, with revenue estimations of $3 billion.

Do you think the increased tax on alcopops will reduce teen binge drinking or is it hitting older drinkers just as much as the young? Has it prompted you to switch drinks?