Tuesday 13 November 2007

Pink Balls and the Price of Beer

My journeys to and from work are rarely dull with my car radio as a companion, especially now as the days grow shorter (can you grow shorter?). Today there was a spokesperson for the MCC (or similar - other cricketing authorities are available) commenting on proposals to introduce pink cricket balls (apparently it is easier to see them coming, so there's something to ponder). He said that he could not envisage them being used in normal test matches in "any way, shape or form". I imagine that at least shape-wise we would be sticking with tradition.

A worthy collection of professionals and academics, backed by findings from the World Health Organisation, have recommended that increasing the relative cost of alcohol is an effective measure in reducing consumption. This has been established for a while and I will not comment on the research at this stage, but it was interesting to hear a recovering alcoholic saying on radio that price would not have deterred him, almost as though this single testament undermines the whole premise. These are complex issues and I would guess there are important interactions between levels of alcohol dependence and willingness to pay higher prices, notwithstanding the multiple psychosocial factors that impinge on this issue.

Pink gin, anyone?

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