When the Government brought in the alcopops tax earlier this year in a bid to curb binge drinking many voiced their opinion that the tax would not stop the problem.

The Distilled Spirits Industry Council (DSIC) said new data showed an increase in the volume of alcohol sold since the introduction of the alcopops tax is worrying.

The Liquor Merchants Association of Australia (LMAA) compared sales of ready-to-drink spirits and full strength spirits between April and June 2008. The LMAA found that an extra 266 000 litres of alcohol had been sold since the Federal Government's 70 per cent tax hike on pre- mixed drinks.

However the Senate can still reject the extra tax being charged on the so-called alcopops. Although that would create a problem for the Government over the money it has already collected.

Figures showed that the sale of spirits had gone up by 21 million standard drinks since the tax was imposed. The Spirits Industry said more alcohol is being consumed because people are buying the stronger pure spirits to mix, instead of pre-mixed alcopops.

The staggering leap in consumption has created a revenue boom for the Government. Budget papers reveal the treasury will receive $1.75 million per day from the excise changes to pre-mixed drinks.

It seems that the steady flow of data has cast doubt over the claims that the 70 per cent increase in excise on alcopops would help tackle binge drinking.

Stephen Riden, DSIC spokesman pointed out that the new figures prove that the ready to drink tax trial has indeed failed.

"We expected a swap between how alcohol was sold but not an increase and I certainly don't think the Government expected this either. We certainly think the Government should step back and just ask itself if this is what we really hoped to achieve when we brought the tax in".

After this data was released the Government scrambled to release figures to back up its case that the tax on pre-mixed drinks is working to reduce alcohol consumption.

This comes as no surprise to Lee Turnbull, owner of the Criterion Hotel Rockhampton, who has in the past stated that the tax on alcopops will not impact on sales of pre-mixed drinks at his establishment.

""I have spoken to a great number of young people and the general comment is ‘It won't change me from drinking anything. I'll still go out and have my fun'."

Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan has fought back after the Distilled Spirits Industry's suggested claim that the Government's alcopops tax was not tackling the issue of binge drinking. Mr Swan accused the council of creating figures to suit its case against the tax increase.

Health Minister Nicola Roxon says the spirits industry is selectivly using the data collected and is only interested in profits. She was quoted in The Age saying she was fed up with the alcohol industry putting their profits ahead of the need to protect binge drinking by our youth.

It is hard to say what the future will hold regarding the controversial tax. Although the point of the tax was to rectify the issue of binge drinking the amount of spirits being purchased is alarming and in fact could be undoing any progress made to minimise Australian's alcohol intake.