It’s been great to see the full coverage given by the news media in recent weeks. It seems the “trade” has been less successful in pleading its case but there’s no doubt they're doing some heavy lobbying around the corridors of Parliament.
What’s good about this coverage is that there are no cries for Temperance or Prohibition or “Down with the Demon Drink”. These days it’s not the anti-drink fanatics but community leaders, scientists, medical and social workers who are telling our politicians that we have a problem that is causing immense damage to the fabric of our society.
And, of course, at the end of the day, you might think that our elected representatives would listen to what 68% of the population is saying. But what they seem likely to do with the most important of the proposed changes is to “kick for touch” until after the Rugby World Cup.
Kiwi readers are encouraged to send for free submission postcards to raise these four issues again with our parliamentarians. Order from: coordinator@alcoholaction.co.nz
They are already printed with the urgent concerns:
1. Introduce minimum prices and progressive excise tax on alcohol
2. Restore supermarkets to alcohol-free status
3. Ban broadcast advertising and sport sponsorship - as for tobacco
4. Reduce blood alcohol level to .05 - as Aust, Canada, France, Germany etc
What’s good about this coverage is that there are no cries for Temperance or Prohibition or “Down with the Demon Drink”. These days it’s not the anti-drink fanatics but community leaders, scientists, medical and social workers who are telling our politicians that we have a problem that is causing immense damage to the fabric of our society.
And, of course, at the end of the day, you might think that our elected representatives would listen to what 68% of the population is saying. But what they seem likely to do with the most important of the proposed changes is to “kick for touch” until after the Rugby World Cup.
Kiwi readers are encouraged to send for free submission postcards to raise these four issues again with our parliamentarians. Order from: coordinator@alcoholaction.co.nz
They are already printed with the urgent concerns:
1. Introduce minimum prices and progressive excise tax on alcohol
2. Restore supermarkets to alcohol-free status
3. Ban broadcast advertising and sport sponsorship - as for tobacco
4. Reduce blood alcohol level to .05 - as Aust, Canada, France, Germany etc
If we don’t deserve better liquor licensing laws now perhaps we deserve a better government next year.
Well done, NZ Herald for the Two Drinks Max campaign.
Posts
I am going to suggest to you that the injuries clogging our hospitals emergency departments, those suffered by "drunken fools" should have to wait until all others are dealt with.
ReplyDeleteThe liquor industry carries a lot of weight with any government, after all they provide money to spend!
Farmercorby.
I am happy to leave the priorities in the emergency room to the medical experts. But it is many of those same medical experts who are now taking the lead in encouraging reform of our unfortunate liquor laws.
ReplyDeleteYes, the liquor industry has its own agenda and is able to bring huge pressures to bear on the politicians. But at the end of the day governments come and go at the electoral booth and the patience of the people on the matter of alcohol reform is wearing thin.
Two decades ago, we allowed the optimists to tell us that easier availability of alcohol would reform our drinking culture. It has emabled the development of a new culture that is clearly worse.
We have to adjust the law again. And if I had any shares in the the liquor industry I wouldn't be rushing to my sharebroker to sell them off. They'll do Ok whatever happens.