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.

[*ibis]

get off my lawn

[purple.cow]

"Before I got old and cranky pubs shut before midnight and weren't open on sundays."

Same here Danger, plus we were taught to accept the resposibility for our own stupid actions and wear the consequences of them.

That teaching appears to have gone out the window along with so many other basic decency ideas these days and no-one is willing to accept resposibilty for anything they do or say any more.

As I stated in the original post, I have nothing against the comsuming of alcohol, but I have a great deal against the lack of accepting resposibility when idiots chose to ignore all common sense and take things to a level where they cause harm to others around them.

There's absolutely nothing big, clever or manly/grown up about being incapable of reasonable care and actions toward others. It just makes you look like the pondscum you really are if/when you do it.

And it wasn't a binge drinker, silly teenager, or late night club goer that killed two innocent people (A married couple with kids) a couple of days ago not far from where I live, it was a 34 year old mother of 2 young kids who had been out with girlfriends for a lunch (More liquid than solid by the results) who slammed into the other car heading in the opposite direction killing the couple and causing serious injury to 2 of their kids out of the three that were seated properly in the back of the car.

I would lock her away and chuck away the key, but that's how I react to this sort of thing, very badly.

[icyfroth]

The oldies had their fun even though pubs closed at 10 pm and were closed Sundays. No alcolhol at parties or functions for under 21s.

Now the laws have changed and look at our poor young people the trouble they get into with too much of the drink.

We have a duty of care toward our young folk.

Oh and you don't exactly come across as a teeny-bopper, Ibis

[*ibis]

you don't exactly come across as a teeny-bopper, Ibis

you are spot on icy. im from a very long past generation

call me old fashion but back in my day i would rather smoke a joint,  have sex and go to sleep.

[danger.will.robinson]

I blame the parents for not kicking the kids out of home as soon as they leave home. They live for practically nothing and have too much money to spend on grog. Make them move out so they have to pay rent, electricity, phone bills, buy food, then see how much they have left over for grog.

[siggie-reported-by-alarmists]

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@*ibis wrote:

get off my lawn

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Lawn or grass.......

[buzzlightyearsgirlfriend]

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@***super_nova*** wrote:

We could start with an ad that shows young girl half naked, dirty, sick, with her make up smudged all over her face and few attractive (what ever is attractive to that age group) guys looking on and one saying something like:  "I really liked her, thought of asking her to out next week............ but YUK I don't think so...."   translated to appropriate teenage language  🙂

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The Govt. did have something like this a few years ago. The campaign ran from 2008-2010.

[buzzlightyearsgirlfriend]

[buzzlightyearsgirlfriend]

[crystal**flake]

The thing is, girls think its fun and funny to be falling and staggering everywhere, its part and parcel of their "fun" night out.