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.

[colic2bullsgirlore]

Doctor Gordian Fulde on the link below highlights that addiction to crystal meth, ice crack etc is almost instantaneous

because of its effect in permeating the dopamine that the body produces

I have an idea that it may be the drugs that are mixed with the drug alcohol maybe maing the voilence much much worse than the "oldies" remember when they were "young and wild"

How Is Methamphetamine Abused?

Methamphetamine is a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol and is taken orally, intranasally (snorting the powder), by needle injection, or by smoking.

http://video.au.msn.com/browse/news/todayshow

How Does Methamphetamine Affect the Brain?

Methamphetamine increases the release and blocks the reuptake of the brain chemical (or neurotransmitter) dopamine, leading to high levels of the chemical in the brain—a common mechanism of action for most drugs of abuse.

Dopamine is involved in reward, motivation, the experience of pleasure, and motor function.

Methamphetamine’s ability to release dopamine rapidly in reward regions of the brain produces the intense euphoria, or “rush,” that many users feel after snorting, smoking, or injecting the drug.

[icyfroth]

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@colic2bullsgirlore wrote:

"I have an idea that it may be the drugs that are mixed with the drug alcohol maybe maing the voilence much much worse than the "oldies" remember when they were 'young and wild' "

yes I can relate to that

[i-need-a-martini]

The problem is that there are heaps of genes  that could affect how a person reacts to alcohol. None of them are specifically an 'alcohol' gene. They are simply genes that affects behaviour or chemicals in our body that could predispose (is that the right word?) to drinking too much. 

For example there is a metabolism gene that runs in families that makes binge drinking more likely. The gene does not predispose (?) someone to drinking. It predisposes (?) them to having high responses to alcohol. They get drunk quicker, they get over it quicker. The studies show that people that have the gene react strongly to their addiction/alcohol but were less likely to become alcoholics. 

There is another gene that affects seratonin levels. It is the gene that can cause anxiety and depression and those that have this gene also reach for stimulants. This is the one that causes alcoholism. 

Another gene predisposes people to addiction. That addiction could be drink or drugs or gambling or eating or sugar.

Of all the different genes now being studied in conjunction with alcohol, we would ALL have one or multiples of the various genes. Many of the studies specifically point out that environent is a major factor in triggering how a person with a particular gene might behave.

[siggie-reported-by-alarmists]

So why serve alcohol to a child?......what benefit is it?....

Cons - Creating the environment that my influence those genetically predisposed to alcoholism.

- Destroys brain cells - Kids brains are still developing.

- Damages every organ in their body.

The child is too young to make the decision on whether they want to be a drinker.

Using the excuse they will learn to be responsible as drinkers when they are older is a cop out.

 After the age of 18, they have the rest of their lives to experience alcohol. At 18 their brains are still developing.  Why program them

into drinking at a young age?.

Lazy parenting?.....or alcoholics continuing a sad cycle?

[siggie-reported-by-alarmists]

I also think that some posters here have failed to remember that alcoholism is a disease.

Alcoholism, is a chronic,  progressive and sometimes fatal disease......

Denial is an almost universal symptom of the disease.

There idea of setting a child up to suffer from a possibly fatal disease, I find extremely disturbing.

[i-need-a-martini]

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@siggie-reported-by-alarmists wrote:

So why serve alcohol to a child?......what benefit is it?....

Cons - Creating the environment that my influence those genetically predisposed to alcoholism.

- Destroys brain cells - Kids brains are still developing.

- Damages every organ in their body.

The child is too young to make the decision on whether they want to be a drinker.

Using the excuse they will learn to be responsible as drinkers when they are older is a cop out.

 After the age of 18, they have the rest of their lives to experience alcohol. At 18 their brains are still developing.  Why program them

into drinking at a young age?.

Lazy parenting?.....or alcoholics continuing a sad cycle?

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Wine is available on the dinner table as part of my culture and part of their education. It's neither here nor there to them. It's neither here nor there to me. They aren't drinking a full glass. No one forces my kids to drink. 

Personally I think a quarter glass of wine at dinner for a 12 year old has got to be better than a couple of glasses of Coke or any other sugary drink.

And what's with your last line? What sad cycle? My kids have never seen me drunk. In fact I've never been drunk even though I would have had access to alcohol since I was a child. I've never seen my parents drunk either. So there is no 'sad cycle' to continue. 

My opinion is that to make turning 18 'D' day for alcohol consumption doesn't make sense. I have nieces and nephews who are/have counted down the days until they can legally drink. The results are not pretty. One nephew is a serious binge drinker. On his 18th birthday party, his father proudly handed him a beer and said "Now you can drink". Everyone thought it was funny. Fast forward 2 years and no one is laughing.

[siggie-reported-by-alarmists]

Serve a child water......or milk......that's more age appropriate.

Saying it's apart of your culture, is another cop out, nor does it make it okay.

There are many cultural practices around the world that are being abandoned....because when people know better they change.

[siggie-reported-by-alarmists]

The example of your nephew is a sad one....there are.lots of people around Australia in the same situation...

.as you said, no one is laughing.

Alcoholism's is a horrendous disease.  Hence the thread?

[punch*drunk]

Personally I think a quarter glass of wine at dinner for a 12 year old has got to be better than a couple of glasses of Coke or any other sugary drink.

Yes, I definitely agree with that.

My opinion is that to make turning 18 'D' day for alcohol consumption doesn't make sense. I have nieces and nephews who are/have counted down the days until they can legally drink. The results are not pretty. One nephew is a serious binge drinker. On his 18th birthday party, his father proudly handed him a beer and said "Now you can drink". Everyone thought it was funny. Fast forward 2 years and no one is laughing.

Its that attitude that needs to change, not necessarily the age limit. You also cant legally buy cigarettes until you're 18 but nobody is encouraging kids to do it, much less do it in excess, when they hit that age. We are trying to teach our kids that just because they will become a legal age to drink one day, doesnt mean that they should do it and there can be serious ramifications if they drink to excess, just like there can be serious ramifications for smoking.

[siggie-reported-by-alarmists]

Isn't that post contradictory..,.,.serve a 12 year old, but tell an 18 year old not to drink?