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Are we going tee-totally too close to being the "W-A The Nanny State??
Posted by Lisa Shaw Thursday 29 May, 2008 03:26 PM
There's a lot of debate in the news at the moment about binge drinking, and how to tackle it. Some of the ideas being tossed around strike me as a little flawed, and some strike me as just as just plain silly.
Top of the silly list, in my opinion, is that suggestion to not let anyone into Northbridge nightspots as of 2 hours before closing time. Supposedly this would clear people off the streets. Is it just me? or does anyone else think that it would actually result in the exact opposite happening, with MORE people milling around (and milling around frustrated that they've been locked out!)
The 'alco-pop' debate amuses me because the powers that be don't really think that upping their price will suddenly see the sales of lemon squash soar do they?? And as for this week's latest theory - that banning happy hours and shooter drinks will do the trick...puh-leaze!!
I don't have the answers to binge drinking, but I do know this - the current 'alco-pop' generation did not invent it, so unless they plan on banning every source of alcohol down to cooking sherry, these measures are not only unlikely to work, but (as is so often the case) they just punish the (majority) percentage of us who do know how to behave when we're out.
But that's just how I feel, I'd love to know what you think??
Does prohibition ever work???
Comments
Post a Comment | Comments (22)
Sorry, have used a silly spelling as people often remember my name - so would prefer to be anon....
I think that the alco pops bizo (tax hike) isn't a solution. When I was younger - we only ever purchaed bottles of spirits + mixers... Advice from y father years ago was... "Never let the ice melt in your drink!" I think he meant that I should hit an elligable fella up for a fresh drink, but me being me - I moved to wine! Cheers!
Posted by Kase Wednesday 25 June, 2008 10:37 PM
i think increasing the tax on alco-pops is honestly the worst idea anyone could come up with. its always the minority who spoil it for the majority, so more responsible people than irresponsible people are having to bare the consequences for the minority's actions. its not an effective way of deterring teenagers from binge drinking either... are they raising tax on straight alcohol? im a teenager and i know plenty of people who've just bought straight alcohol because its becoming cheaper than buying the premix drinks, even i've done it myself. i reckon if the tax on alcopops are increased this will mean more teenagers will buy the straight stuff. a bottle of beam does more damage than a few cans of the mixed stuff does! its an unecessary proposal and just a way for the government grabbing another tax from the public. it'll probably end up doing more harm than good.
Posted by jenna Thursday 12 June, 2008 09:31 AM
Hi I'm a mum of a 17 &1/2yr old daughter she lives with me & my husband fulltime, stepmum to a 19yr old young man & a 16yr old young lady. As for Binge drinking I believe kids will push what ever boundaries there are whilst trying to gain a level of maturity that safely sees them into adulthood. As a society we have made so much of drinking that kids see it as a right of passage, young adults emulate their role models. As my husband & I don't drink much you would think maybe our kids wouldn't either, but on both other sides, the parents situation is vastly different & there is a culture of drinking to extreme. So I reiterate my point, kids emulate their role models & what's acceptable in society, we as parents have a duty of care to our kids & society to set good examples, but in split families it is even harder.
Posted by T Wednesday 11 June, 2008 09:05 AM
Yes binge drinking has been around for a long long time. IT was around when i was a kid too. I dont think banning booze is the answer either it all starts with the parents and how the kids perceive what they are doing they do by example. If we can teach them from an early age about these these things what harms they do then I think it would help its the same with smoking and drugs. Us parents have to lead by example sometimes and stop blaming everyone else.
Posted by Naomi Monday 9 June, 2008 05:28 AM
Binge drinking hasn't changed its just the attitude of those who participate. Sadly to say they feel its cool to be wasted and that way, can remove any responsibility for their actions. At 18 some of our youth believe they have to out drink their peers with little regard for their own or others health or safety thinking they are invinvible. To raise the drinking age to 21 may allow these people to grasp maturity and what life has to offer before they open a bottle. As for the Gov't its just another pathetic attempt at being seen to do something and grab another tax. I liken it to the BOHICA Philosophy (Bend over here it comes again). Our pollies wont do anything that may lose a vote, they're weak unless it directly impacts on them .
Posted by Ron Friday 6 June, 2008 08:59 PM
Is binge drinking new, something that has just happened or began. In my forty years of drinking I have skulled yards of beer,played skulling games,dead ants and toast the sun up on new years day.All thats changed is the game.
Posted by M.Leitch Friday 6 June, 2008 02:00 PM
I have 3 sons...two of whom binge drink on weekends since turning 18. This is a definite problem. At long last I heard my 22 year old son say...i have had enough...i need a new group of friends...all my friends want to do is drink, shooters etc. etc...So glad he was matured enough to realise his body can't take anymore...My solution which i'm not sure would work but just might prove better than raising taxes, is to raise the legal drinking age to 21 when our children are more matured. I am aware that kids will still manage to obtain alcohol prior to that, but at least it would stop the drinking and curtail all these alcohol related fights/bashings on the streets and outside nightclubs. Well just a thought!
Posted by Connie Thursday 5 June, 2008 12:53 PM
Everyone needs to keep in mind that by rising the tax on these drinks they are punishing the minority, if at all. This was just a SLEAZY way of imposing another tax on us. When are we all going to stand up and sa "enough is enough". Nanny state? Nobody is prepared to do anything about it, we all relent and take it again.... I can feel a huge public revolt emerging, we just need to take the next step and do it. If we carry on accepting what is going on what is next? Let's DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!!!!
Posted by Brett Thursday 5 June, 2008 04:45 AM
I found out today that an official binge drinking session is having more that 6 standard drinks in one sitting. If this is the case then me and a lot of people
I know are now ofically binge drinkers! I think drinking is a part of western culture and there will always be those who over-indulge for whatever reasons, myself it's me and the girls and a couple a bottles of red!. Maybe now we have such a large population it is just more obvious. As for the alco-pops I think people will drink more as it's harder to regulate how much spirit you pour when you mix your own which people are now doing. I come from the UK where booze holds the same status as it does here but when I was a teenager if people crashed your party and behaved badly it was only one or two but there are so many more now. I think there are a lot more worries with the drugs that people take and then go out drinking, this combination is very dangerous and worries me more than people getting smashed on alcohol alone, I have a teenage son. Prohibition never works, people get what they want, its human nature and if they can't get it legally they still get it. There will always be those who go over the top , just as there will always be stupid drivers who kill people no matter how many multa-novas the police put out there, I don't see the road toll decreasing much! Most people go through a drinking stage, labelling it binge drinking has made it a joke among teenagers and probably makes them, in their rebellious state, just want to do it more. Yes WA is rapidly becoming a nanny state Lisa - it's not the relaxed and 'no worries' place I came to 17 years ago that's for sure!
Posted by kate Hart Wednesday 4 June, 2008 08:24 PM
Isn't is amazing, when the government bumped the tax up on tobacco, everyone applauded. Now they have done it to alcohol, everyone is deeply offended. Smacks of hypocrisy methinks.
Posted by Stuart Wednesday 4 June, 2008 07:52 PM
When will they learn you can' legislate agains stupid people they are going to do what they do unless you jack up the punishment. forget taking away the rights of free people make money off the idiots that do it fine the hell our of them. congratulations to the government I was told that it is now cheaper to by pot now than smokes. Now thats what I call smart.
Posted by Brad Wednesday 4 June, 2008 05:30 PM
If people want to binge drink then they will find a way to do it! Increasing the price of alco-pops won't have any influence, and I acually believe it may cause more harm as people will share a bottle of spirits and mix their own (def. going to be more more than 1 standard drink). So people will either mix their own, drink something else (cheap wine) or just spend more money.
So much for a harm minimisation approach. Another example of naive and populist policy by a govt that should be focussing on more important issues.
Posted by Jason Wednesday 4 June, 2008 08:42 AM
the more someone trys to stop u from doing something...eg..drinking them the more you will drink ..its stupid...people find perth boring .......everything is closed after sundown..
Posted by crissy Tuesday 3 June, 2008 11:14 AM
Okay so I am 53 and not in the target group but let me tell you something. I was a binge drinker from 18 onwards. If I had a drink I had 20. I only drank to get drunk. I did this for years. Now I still cant have a sociable drink. 1 is too many and 20 isnt enough. My drinking has resulted in Type 2 diabetes and I am having major problems getting it under control. I have no feeling from my knees down and I am starting to lose the feeling in my hands and fingers.
Had I known then the potential damage to my health that this sort of drinking could do I am pretty sure I would have reconsidered my actions.
Maybe we should be showing people the long term effects of alcohol abuse the same way we do with smoking.
Posted by Peter Floyde Monday 2 June, 2008 07:23 AM
I am 17, and i've been speaking to the older ladies at my work and even they think that this is ridiculous, regardless of prices yes we will still drink. The prices have gone up already and theres still kids out younger than i am, more drunk than i'll ever be. Binge drinking wont be stopped, but maybe the parents of 14 year olds should have a tighter grip on their children because they shouldn't be drinking at that age, let alone out at parties and things like that.
But in saying that, yes thats what they should do but, exactly like sex if kids want to do it, their going to do it.
Underagers are going to drink so putting the alco-pops up is proabably the worse thing to do because; hey if a 4 pack of cruisers is what they usually drink then why not go halves with someone else to buy a straight bottle of vodka and skull that down.
Your going to see more underagers getting alcohol poisening and needing their stomachs pumped because if they don't know how straight alcohol effects you, they'll be drinking it straight like they would drink their alco-pop drinks.
or, why not start trying drugs..
Posted by Emily Sunday 1 June, 2008 11:59 AM
I have worked in the hospitality industry for 22 years and don't believe binge drinking is any worse now than it ever was. What is different now is the level of violence that seems to go with it. I think most of the violence is caused by a combination of alcohol and drugs and not alcohol alone. So because the powers that be can't control drugs they are trying to control alcohol instead. As for Happy hours they are mostly supported by older guys having a couple of drinks with their mates and not the younger generation at all. Prohibition doesn't work it and never will. And being the nanny state that we are the rest of us will suffer.
Posted by Sandra Saturday 31 May, 2008 09:06 AM
I worked in Saudi Arabia in the early 90's where all alcohol is totally forbidden. We certainly found ways around it. Most expats simply brewed their own, with unpredictable results. You never really knew what the alcohol levels were. Surely it is safer to be drinking these alcopops, where the alcohol level is printed on the lable!! Most are so sweet that they are self limiting anyway. I don't think binge drinking is any bigger a problem now than it was when I was in my early 20's a few years ago (ok more than a few as I turn 44 this year)
Posted by Leanne Young Friday 30 May, 2008 05:40 PM
Well I really never liked the alco pop drinks too sweet for my taste just give me a bottle of vodka and a carton of pure OJ and leave me alone to get on with it. Prohibition didn't work in the USA as they still found ways and means to get the liquor in to the states, Maybe we need an Elliot Ness type person to supervise the sale of alco pops in hotels and night clubs,
If kids want to drink they will regardless of the prices.
Posted by Maureen Friday 30 May, 2008 11:53 AM
Prohibition never works, I think this has been proven over and over again around the world. I really dont know what the solution to all this is, I dont even think parenting has a huge influence on drinking, its like sex if they're going to do, they're going to do it whether you make contraception available or not. Maybe if as adults we behaved more responsibily rather than getting drunk and the punching someone until they hit their head on the ground and die? and then the law lets the murderer off. Night clubs need to be regulated alot more but I dont see an instant solution to this one either.
Posted by Tanya Friday 30 May, 2008 09:12 AM
I could not agree more. The idea that excluding people from one form of alcohol is not going to result in them seeking an alternative is just completely ludicrous!
Alco-pops have a set amount of alcohol and those consuming them could reasonably be expected to be able to gauge their consumption based on this. The fact that bottled spirit sales have increased indicates that people have been forced to opt for these over alco-pops.
The Minister claims success based on the fact that alco-pop sales have fallen but fails to acknowledge that other spirit sales have increased - terribly flawed logic.
If the Government acknowledged that this was primarily a revenue raising measure rather than the deluded 'health' argument - that would have been more reasonable and more honest.
In answer to your question - does prohibition ever work - historically...NO.
Binge drinking is a problem and one that needs to be addressed. How about seriously confronting the issue rather than adopting a 'high-tax' shallow excuse for a reason? After all, illegal drugs are a problem too - and they cost considerably more than alco-pops ever did.
All in all, I think that this entire farce regarding binge drinking, alco-pops and government taxation has been a poorly thought-out, shallow, "see we are doing something" strategy, conceived by fools and sold by conmen.
Just my thoughts......
Posted by Michael Werts Friday 30 May, 2008 06:51 AM
No because we live in a society where people can't enjoy themselves without being alcohol or drug fueled.
I spend up to 5 nights a week in pubs as a dancer, supporting local bands and am a non drinker by choice.
Not only are the patrons under age but are continually served when almost legless, so much so that I have approached security staff and threatened to call the police if they are served again.
It's not just the teens that binge drink but across the board with women being the worst in all age groups.
Not a nice sight.
Grow up Australia and take a look at yourselves and what alcohol is doing fullstop.
Posted by Cheryl Friday 30 May, 2008 06:45 AM
Totally agree... when I was younger it was Lambrusca - red or white it didnt matter. If we were caught underage drinking we had to go (with our parents) to lectures on alcohol abuse with the Police department. If you didnt turn up it was a juvenile offence. Bring that back ! The plain clothes police used to do pub raids on a regular basis - they came in and nobody could leave until ID was produced. Used to see the girls heading for the ladies thinking they were safe - only for the D's to follow them straight in. If it is against the law - then punish the offenders - not everybody else !!!
Posted by Jayne Friday 30 May, 2008 05:48 AM