WE’RE not convinced at the British Medical Association’s arguments over slapping a minimum price on alcohol.

We share its concerns on binge drinking and the effects it has on people who consume too much.

But yet again we are seeing policies flying around which aim to hit the majority and not the minority that are binge drinking.

The vast number of people who go out or drink at home know their limits.

They do not binge drink, get excessively drunk or cause trouble.

Yet they are the people who will end up paying more for their drink.

Why punish all of us?

The answer is because that is the easy way.

Target those who are binge drinking. Find out why they are doing it. Find out the causes.

We suspect this call has been made because there are no obvious solutions to curing the problems of binge drinking.

And that is why the BMA and others are calling for this ridiculous minimum price which would hit so many.

We don’t have any obvious answers either. And there lies the problem.

But hitting everyone with a rise in the price of alcohol is not the answer.

It is a knee-jerk reaction to what is an extremely serious problem.