Australia's alcohol idiot problem

[purple.cow]

I think it's past time the Australian government treated the problems associated with alcohol as it has been doing for a long time with cigarettes and smoking because while smoking is harmful to a person's health it usually only affects the smoker in a serious way themselves, whereas the problems arising from grog harm many around the drunken idiot.

Heavy drinking results in public brawling to the extent where death occurs to both the drinker and others they see fit to harm.

Heavy drinkers also seriously abuse kids and partners, both physically and mentally.

Alcohol abuse is a growing issue among our young people.

Alcohol abuse costs the country millions of dollars every year through loss of productivity due to the drinker chucking sickies because they are hungover or suffering ill effects of grog the following day.

Alcohol abuse results in way too many deaths and injuries on our roads every year.

alcoholics cost our public health system millions every years due to the serious issues it causes to the abuser.

I could go on and on about the bad side of grog, but it will start sounding as though I'm totally anti-grog if I do, when in fact I have absolutely nothing against anyone enjoying a drink or two, but I have a hell of a lot against what abusing the stuff causes.

So, I think it's time that the Australian government takes a far more serious approach to the subject.

To do this they should start off with banning all alcohol/and alcohol related products from public advertising - just as they did with smoking products many years ago.

Next they should slap on an immediate minimum tax price rise of 10% for all alcohol and alcohol related products, to be followed up within 6 months with a further 10% price rise on the lot.

These price rises should also hit the home grog making products market too.

additionally all consuming of ALL alcohol products should be totally banned from all public venues and licensing hours over the entire country should be reduced to far more reasonable hours, say midnight in all clubs and pubs etc.

Do you think I'm goping over the top?

OK, you may think so, but I'm sick to death of seeing the results of alcohol abuse at all levels in this country, and I can see no good reason why my tax dollors should go toward fighting a losing battle against the problems arising from grog abuse.

I've also been forced to attend too many funerals of innocent bystanders killed due to bloody idiot's bad habits while they walk away from it all almost Scot free.

[siggie-reported-by-alarmists]

This thread has been well named.

[topsidesoul]

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@siggie-reported-by-alarmists wrote:

Serving alcohol to young children? Watering it down?

You might have been serving alcohol to a child who has the "Alcoholic Gene".

Why give children the taste for it at a young age?...... For what purpose?

Giving alcohol to children  is illegal for good reasons.

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Alcoholic Gene?

Bahahahahahahaha......are you trying to pulls someone leg?

[crystal**flake]

Actually its true.

[topsidesoul]

No it's not.

It is theory at the moment.

Sounds like an alarmist to me with unproven scientific claims.

[crystal**flake]

My brother died and they did an autopsy on him, well his brain, and we were told he was an alcoholic genetically.  He was 16 at the time.

[topsidesoul]

My apologies but as sad as that sounds it is not proof of something.

The first reports  of an 'alcoholic gene' are based on  a Swedish  study on twins and shows that there is  a 'risk'  of being an alcoholic, not destiny.

Also does not take into account self abuse and or anti social  behaviour.

The latest study I think  used 70 or more cadavers with half being controls and half died of drinking related  disease.

The gene they believe is the one is the dopamine D2 receptor gene, but this is a 'belief'.

[siggie-reported-by-alarmists]

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@crystal**flake wrote:

My brother died and they did an autopsy on him, well his brain, and we were told he was an alcoholic genetically.  He was 16 at the time.

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That's so sad crystal....I am sorry for your loss.

If a child is an alcoholic genetically, no one should serve them alcohol at any age.

Genetics influence the likelihood of developing alcoholism, as do other factors. For example , environment.

.

[colic2bullsgirlore]

blaming the "drug" is an addicts excuse. (gotta love the western culture that still categorizes "drugs" separately from the

other "drugs"  Mr Nicoteen and Mr Al K Hall and uses phrases like  "Repeatedly abusing drugs or alcohol" instead of

just ""Repeatedly abusing drugs" western society likes to still separate alcohol from what it is a :"legal drug"

(and therein lies part of the problem)

barring/making the drug illegal just hides the problem

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition_in_the_United_States

...but it is still there just that organized crime makes more money out of it

Addiction regardless of the medium/subject can be related to genetics...... all addiction

http://www.addictionsandrecovery.org/is-addiction-a-disease.htm

Why are there genes for addiction? We all have the genetic predisposition for addiction because there is an evolutionary advantage to that.

When an animal eats a certain food that it likes, there is an advantage to associating pleasure with that food so that the animal will look for that food in the future.

In other words the potential for addiction is hardwired into our brain.

Everyone has eaten too much of their favorite food even though they knew it wasn't good for them.

Although everyone has the potential for addiction, some people are more predisposed to addiction than others. Some people drink alcoholically from the beginning.

Other people start out as a moderate drinker and then become alcoholics later on.

How does that happen?

Repeatedly abusing drugs or alcohol permanently rewires your brain. If you start out with a low genetic predisposition for addiction, you can still end up with an addiction.

If you repeatedly abuse drugs or alcohol because of poor coping skills, then you'll permanently rewire your brain.

Every time you abuse alcohol, you'll strengthen the wiring associated with drinking, and you'll chase that buzz even more.

The more you chase the effect of alcohol, the greater your chance of eventually developing an addiction.

Your genes are not your destiny. The 50% of addiction that is caused by poor coping skills is where you can make a difference. Lots of people have come from addicted families but managed to overcome their family history and live happy lives. You can use this opportunity to change your life.

the problem is the non recognition in the general community that an addictive personality without treatment will find a

way to satisfy their cravings whether it is drug abuse or possibly abuse/addiction in a completely different facet of their life

http://www.lifeworkscommunity.com/news/blog/the-genetics-of-a-sex-addict.html

[colic2bullsgirlore]

I much prefer Tex Mortons version but this is the only one I could find

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Djz-XizAEmI

[icyfroth]

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@colic2bullsgirlore wrote:

blaming the "drug" is an addicts excuse. (gotta love the western culture that still categorizes "drugs" separately from the

other "drugs"  Mr Nicoteen and Mr Al K Hall and uses phrases like  "Repeatedly abusing drugs or alcohol" instead of

just ""Repeatedly abusing drugs" western society likes to still separate alcohol from what it is a :"legal drug"

(and therein lies part of the problem)

barring/making the drug illegal just hides the problem

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition_in_the_United_States

...but it is still there just that organized crime makes more money out of it

Addiction regardless of the medium/subject can be related to genetics...... all addiction

http://www.addictionsandrecovery.org/is-addiction-a-disease.htm

Why are there genes for addiction? We all have the genetic predisposition for addiction because there is an evolutionary advantage to that.

When an animal eats a certain food that it likes, there is an advantage to associating pleasure with that food so that the animal will look for that food in the future.

In other words the potential for addiction is hardwired into our brain.

Everyone has eaten too much of their favorite food even though they knew it wasn't good for them.

Although everyone has the potential for addiction, some people are more predisposed to addiction than others. Some people drink alcoholically from the beginning.

Other people start out as a moderate drinker and then become alcoholics later on.

How does that happen?

Repeatedly abusing drugs or alcohol permanently rewires your brain. If you start out with a low genetic predisposition for addiction, you can still end up with an addiction.

If you repeatedly abuse drugs or alcohol because of poor coping skills, then you'll permanently rewire your brain.

Every time you abuse alcohol, you'll strengthen the wiring associated with drinking, and you'll chase that buzz even more.

The more you chase the effect of alcohol, the greater your chance of eventually developing an addiction.

Your genes are not your destiny. The 50% of addiction that is caused by poor coping skills is where you can make a difference. Lots of people have come from addicted families but managed to overcome their family history and live happy lives. You can use this opportunity to change your life.

the problem is the non recognition in the general community that an addictive personality without treatment will find a

way to satisfy their cravings whether it is drug abuse or possibly abuse/addiction in a completely different facet of their life

http://www.lifeworkscommunity.com/news/blog/the-genetics-of-a-sex-addict.html

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