Alcohol Reform & Other Stuff

I've only had a brief chance to look at the law commissions report on alcohol reform and there are some aspects to it that intrigue me, and others which are just things what will happen over time. But there are some things which it does not address at all that I have seen.

Part of the alcohol problem is culture. It is far to ingrained as a part of the New Zealand psyche. Sports = Booze. Parties = Booze. Social gatherings = Booze. Weddings = Booze. Birthdays = Booze. Funerals = Booze. Having gone to every one of these events I have found it difficult to not see booze involved, and in some cases, massive quantities. One wedding I attended had 25 kegs, 18 boxes of wine and a vast array of spirits on offer. On returning from the USA, before departing the Air New Zealand crew had offered me 7 different drinks before offering me something that was not alcohol related at all.

Its become such a part of our lives in New Zealand that we haven't realised that it has become the overwhelming part of it. Prohibition is not the answer. Massive taxes will in the end reduce its affordability but in the end it comes down to access, enforcement and consequence.

Access:
When did you notice your corner dairy was becoming a place where you could buy porn and booze from? For years I went to the dairy around my home to play video games. I was bombarded by Coke ads, chips and so on to promote their products. A few months back now on a reminiscing trip I became aware that I could buy beer from the same shop. It was sad that across the road from homes and just down from the Kindy I went to as a child was essentially a mini-bottle store.

The same with the old shop across from my high school. Eventually the same shelves that once stocked over priced yogurt, flavoured milks and other small dairy products, now had wine, beer and other assorted drinks on sale. Bottle stores popped out of the woodwork. Within a small two kilometre grid in a suberb here in Hamilton there are six bottle stores and an additional five stores where alcohol is accessable (including major chain supermarkets or convenience stores).

That to me is one of the biggest reforms required is around access to the stuff. It's to easy to shop hop for your booze. Make it harder to get and it becomes easier to control. There is no reason a corner dairy should be selling booze.

Raising the age.
Who knows why it was dropped anyway. The hospitality association of course would defend younger drinkers because they are their biggest buyer I'm sure. But the fact is, the education campaign is not working and hasn't worked, because there is still a problem.

So...do you punish all for the sake of a few? I think in this instance yes is appropriate. Young and old drinkers cannot be responsible. Take the gentleman who was recently sent to prison for his 21st drink driving conviction. Young people create hazards on the road when they drive as much as older drivers do.

Everyone who drinks needs to be subject to rules around drinking and acceptable behaviour.

The only thing with raising the age is I see it as being as effective as disqualifying a driver. When you DQ the license you do not remove the skill (or lack there of) of the driver. They can still drive even though they are doing so illegally. Some other cracker-jack will buy the booze for the under 20 year old, as the same thing that happens with smokes.

It does take a level of maturity to be able to drink responsibly. Is it nanny state? Very likely, but I see it like this in a way. People will moan about the damage caused by alcohol and there will be those who will moan about the over regulation of alcohol, much like Rodney Hide and his argument about the changes to tobacco taxes this week. Regardless of the actual numbers, the cost to the health or other social systems of smokers and alcohol related injuries is massive and something needs to be done. You can't please everyone and you can go nuts in trying. Make a call, and stand by it.