The Drinking Age

Gee...all this talk about the drinking age of late makes me wonder....

WHY THE HELL DID THE DRINKING AGE GET LOWERED IN THE FIRST PLACE!?!?!?

Its been nearly seven years since the drinking age was legally lowered by the government from 20 to 18 in an effort to lower the amount of under age drinking that was going on. Great way to deal with the problem. Lower the age to make it legal. Thats going to solve it.

So now, there are a whole lot more younger drinkers, including kids as young as 12 being binge drinkers and who lay out on the streets and roads after parties smashed beyond the ability to even stand. Then again, some adults I know are hardly examples to their kids in this area. A person who gets $200 a week in state assistance can probably spend that much money on the booze and not spend it on the family.

The only problem I see is will this re-increase of the age be any easier to police than it was before. I mean when the industry does not seem to car. In the most recent police operations sending in under-cover under-aged booze buyers into stores and our of 15 stores, 12 sold to minors. 6 of those had done it before. (one just around the corner from us)

Television, after 9:30pm each night becomes a haven for alcohol advertising. A friend of mine who does not like drinking got caught out with a RTD (mixed drink) containing vodka. But with the new mixing, it tastes like a lime lemonade. Tastes like a soft drink.

Those stores that got caught out the second time should be forced to close, for good. Once you get a fine and a warning. Second time, YOUR OUT!!!

Raise the drinking age. Maybe even to 21. I will discuss the drinking age and the 'considered' age for adulthood at another time. But the right to vote dosent have the same issues and problems surrounding it as drunk teens.

Basektball NZ - GO MAORI TV

You know I have to wonder some times about the priorities of BBNZ and its relationship to broadcasting partners in this country. Every week during the NBL season there would be a game on Channel 2 during Saturdays mid day session. Sometimes the game would be live, others would be recorded from games Friday night or during the week.

So...once a week for 2 hours. Oh the exposure...

I'm glad to note though that both the Semi finals and the finals game was broadcast live and were very good games...well, except for the one sided match up in one of them...then the good finals game with the Hawks coming out on top. Go the Hawks.

But then I have to wonder where is BBNZ's and TVNZ's priority when it comes to International games. NZ Vs Australia. 11:15pm on two nights of a week. HELL...when the same for Netball, rugby, league, if that happened, people would be hung. Then maybe drawn and quartered.

You know, in Australia, not only were both games carried live on their networks, but it has actually a rating? But I am very proud of the fledgling Maori TV for carrying the forth game, the second of the two in Australia live. The sad thing about it was that it was that hardly anyone knew about it. But good on them. Shame on BBNZ.