Kevin Rudd's alcopop tax is still causing a stir amongst business owners.

Three months after Kevin Rudd imposed the alcopop tax on business owners, publicans Debbie Clarke and Margaret Wynn hold differing opinions about the impact that the tax has had on their establishments.

Business at The Globe has been affected by the alcopop tax

By student reporter Jessica Farley

The alcopop tax was forced upon pub owners and patrons alike on the 25^th of April this year.  The Prime Minister had made it clear that the decision to introduce the tax was based on evidence that colourful pre mixed drinks were popular among underage girls.

As the manager of a small Rockhampton pub, Debbie Clarke believes that since the introduction of the tax her business has been negatively affected.  Ms Clarke noticed that her pre mixed drink sales plummeted almost immediately after the alcopop tax was introduced. 

"There was an immediate shift in what we were selling and what we weren't selling.  I was worried that I would be stuck with all of the pre mixed drinks because I wouldn't be able to sell them," Ms Clark said. 

However, the sudden downturn in pre mix drink sales was followed by a rise in the sale of bottled spirits. Ms Clarke believes that this trend was an obvious backlash to the soaring prices of alcopops. 

The Globe's Jimmy Rogers pours another beer for thirsty patrons trying to avoid the tax

Ms Clarke is disappointed that the sale of alcopops in her establishment has not levelled out as she had expected.  She now believes that no amount of time will soften the blow of the tax and that patrons will continue to favour bottled spirits. 

The manager of the Pioneer Hotel Margaret Wynn, feels that the tax has not led to any remarkable changes in her business.  Ms Wynn believes that, although patrons were disgruntled at first, they have come to accept the tax over the last three months.

"If it's what they drink, they'll still pay for it," Ms Wynn said.

Although Ms Clarke and Ms Wynn have varying opinions on the effect that the tax has had on their individual businesses, they remain united on one front.  Both women strongly believe that Kevin Rudd's bid to combat underage drinking by means of a tax will prove fruitless.

"Kids are smart.  If they can't afford it they'll just turn to bottled spirits and do more damage because they won't know how much to mix," Ms Clarke said.

Three months on, Debbie Clarke is still frustrated by the alcopop tax.

Regardless of how the alcopop tax is perceived by the public, the Government is expected to gain $2 billion dollars in revenue which will fund Kevin Rudd's preventative health program.

Much of the program will be aimed toward overcoming binge drinking among young women after a 2007 National Drug Strategy Household Survey yielded alarming results. 

The survey revealed that girls aged between 12 and 15 were three times more likely to consume alcohol at least once a week than boys of the same age. 

Furthermore, almost twice as many girls as boys aged 14 to 19 were consuming alcohol at a level that had a high risk of long term harm.

These figures, accompanied by the fact that recent Australian Bureau of Statistics data showed that RTD (ready to drink) consumption has grown by more than 15 per cent in the past year, only highlights the government's reasoning for the need to find a prompt solution.

Unfortunately, publicans like Ms Clarke and Ms Wynn who believe that the tax is an ineffective way of dealing with underage drinking must continue to do business as usual.  "It's a band aid solution to a massive problem.  There's got to be a better option out there for the kids, the business owners and the patrons," Ms Clark said.

Bottled spirits have soared in popularity as a result of the alcopop tax