Your say: Changing our drinking culture

Fairfax Media

BOOZED: One in three young New Zealanders has an alcohol problem.

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Stuff readers offer their opinions on how New Zealand can change its binge-drinking culture.

RE: One in three young adults hit by drink

Feedback (latest posts at top):

We need to get rid of alcopops - especially ones like Cody's, which are 8 per cent and Woodstock which can range from 6 per cent to 12 per cent - these kids are getting hold of these RTDs and getting totally wasted probably not realising the potency of them.  Drinking age should be raised back to 20 and anyone under 25 should only be allowed to buy the alcohol equivalent of a 5 oer cent six pack of beers.
Michelle Hastings

One voice is visibly absent from this debate. Those corporations who make huge profits from this social misery that we are all struggling to deal with. I for one will never allow one dollar of my money to be invested in breweries. 
Helen Russell

I think we are ignoring how our culture has taught our young people that getting hammered on a regular basis is fine. The mentioned study does not include that huge older demographic who do exactly the same thing and they're fine, they function normally and about the only impact to their lives is possible liver damage and having to pay for taxis  home! They are teaching us it's ok! The other thing I (and all of my friends an family) find hilarious, is the so called 'expert' opinions being voiced on television stating that if you consume more than three (or so) drinks in one sitting more than once a week, you are considered a binge-drinker. Is it just me or does that mean setting such a high expectation that it's setting everyone up to fail if they had considered cutting back, they'd think twice after hearing that. How about we get some, New Zealand specific medical information, taking into account all of the external, social and mitigating factors and be part of the solution folks not the problem! Shaking you heads in disapproval whilst watching the news with a glass of wine in your hand makes this issue a farcical sensation.
Karyn Beattie

People don't have 'drinking problems' because of availability, peer pressure, culture or any fabricated 'condition'. It's because people are inherently stupid. One in three young people you say (dubious)? What about the other 66 per cent? The rest of us are able to drink responsibly - even binge from time to time, but we're intelligent enough to know when we've had enough. Also like Jeff said previously, these days it's always someone/thing else's fault. Well, no actually, it's your own damn fault. Take some responsibility for your actions, idiots.
Cory

I think it's very clear that some crucial facts are seem to be cronically overlooked when it comes to diagnosing why young kids are binge drinking. It would appear to me that parents are breaking there families up. Which is chronically underrated, a broken family is bullshit. Kids need both parents, where as in the old days families used to stay together. This along with the radio stations mostly The Edge and ZM, who run teenage music shows are always talking about how drunk they got whilst on the air. And talking of how great it is. Not good.
Jim

Policy makers! swallow your pride, admit you where wrong and raise the drinking age back up. Idiots.
David Evans

One in three young adults have an alcohol problem?  Where do they find this crap?  All this is is hedging your bets! Another example of people wanting to go out, get pissed and not take any responsibility for their actions.  Then when they get caught drink driving, fighting, stealing, doing drugs or getting knocked up or just being general knobs, they can blame everyone else except themselves.  I was the same, but half the fun was not getting caught, like your Mum, or later, your boss noticing that you hadn't quite made it to bed on a school night but still made it to work. Another thing to thank the yanks for - blame culture. "The government didn't protect me" crybaby nonsense. Legislation wont stop alcoholism - look at Sweden and Singapore. $19 for a vodka and Coke or a pint and there are just as many winos in the streets as here (well not Singapore - maybe Dictatorships do serve their purpose). Anyway, who cares! People like getting drunk! It's fun! That's why we do it! That's why God gave us booze! Now, go concentrate on putting thugs, rapists, wife beaters and kiddie fiddlers in prision for a decent legnth of time and let me enjoy my Scotch and Dry in peace!
Jeffrey Kendall

I am a 21-year-old recently recovered alcoholic.  Daily I would drink up to two four packs of Pulse (7 per cent Vodka RTD) in the morning, later progressing to a 700ml bottle of Absolut Vodka following two bottles of wine before bed.  I was 50kg. Personally I don't think anything can really be done to stop binge drinking.  I believe it is up to the individual to want to stop or control themselves.  Once you depend on it that's that basically.  I think more help needs to be offered within communities.  I believe more often than not the problem goes much further than just binge drinking, we need to look at what is happening to turn young people to needing alcohol and take it from there.  Each case is different and more complicated than the next to just sort with the rest. With more of the right help being offered and the willingness to fix the problem, we wouldn't have a problem.
Ash

In my opinion, it all boils down to availability.  If alcohol was only available at liquor stores, I believe it would severly curb the problem.  I see young girls in my supermarket all the time buying wine.  The 'supervisors' take a look at their faces and swipe the OK anyway. 
Margaret

I live in Dunedin and if you look up the uni end of town there is alcohol related signage everywhere, more so than anywhere else in Dunedin. Cannabis gets hammered by all the do-gooders yet is far less harmful than alcohol will ever be. I think you will find that the reason why little is being done about the alcohol problem is due to political bribery to keep status quo, which is also the same bribery that keeps cannabis illegal. Would love to know what position the Alcohol and Tobacco Council have to say about this.
Mark

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