Comments on: Kevin’s war on everything, including booze

By: Arjay

Arjay — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:16:42 +0000

The socialists are silently and methodicly weaving their web of entrapment.Do a study on our social woes of alcohol,housing affordability,income inequalities,then they can justify an increase in the GST,tax on the family home and yes even bring back death duties.
Govt taxes and charges account for 37% of a house/land package.That would send anyone to drink.

By: Graham Young

Graham Young — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 13:11:57 +0000

Not really Rossco. It appears to say that youth drinking levels are similar in Australia to those overseas. It provides time-period figures for 1999 to 2005 which show that while there has been no general increase in binge drinking amongst the whole population of people under 25, those who drink harmfully are drinking some more.
Their definition of binge drinking means that if you take a six pack to a party and drink all six stubbies, you are a binge drinker.
While I think there is some behaviour that is concerning, I don’t think you can characterise this as an epidemic, or that there has been some sort of dramatic increase. I also know plenty of people who drink to that level and beyond regularly who are upstanding members of the community without any alcohol related health problems.
There are other health issues, like obesity, where there is a demonstrably greater increase than this, and where the health problems appear to be more real.
But even there the major issue is the same – can you intervene to effect a change, and is the cost of intervening worth it, or is this just more special pleading to solve a problem that is not soluble?

By: rossco

rossco — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 11:20:28 +0000

Graham
Does this report by the Australian National Council on Drugs
http://www.ancd.org.au/media/media113.htm
satisfy your concerns about lack of evidence about an epidemic of binge drinking?

By: barney

barney — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 10:41:28 +0000

Just an update. This arrived in my email this morning. It makes for sobering reading. http://www.aerf.com.au/pages/images/AER_newsletter-feb08.pdf

By: Benno

Benno — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:36:25 +0000

Rudd is an hero and doesn’t afraid of anything!

By: barney

barney — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 08:29:39 +0000

The issue of an alcohol problem is much more complex than consumption per person. The problem goes to who is drinking, where it is being drunk and why people are drinking. It also goes to the “culture” of alcohol consumption and the bahaviours that accopmpany it. It also involves the links to domestic violence and violence in general.
Re homelessness. Just because the number of homeless hasn’t changes from 100,000 in 6 years does not mean that there isn’t a crisis. That’s 100,000 of our fellow citizens!!
Also it’s a typo but i think you mean a 50% reduction not 100%.

By: Graham Young

Graham Young — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 14:03:14 +0000

That's true Rossco, but I'm having trouble finding any statistics that show there has been an increase in "binge drinking", and the averages suggest that drinking has been decreasing in the population. You suggest that some people are drinking less, but the figures say this is not significant across the population - http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/index.cfm/title/10122 has a longitudinal table looking at consumption by age and gender. It's remarkably stable. I did come across one study that claimed to find it, but it was a survey by Roy Morgan, quoted by an unidentified journal on the UQ Journalism school's website at http://upload.sjc.uq.edu.au/2005/PDFs/August2005/x08TIM_007m.pdf. The survey was done for the Salvos, and it claimed that drinking had doubled between 1993 and 2002 when the WHO statistics, based on actual figures, not self-reported perceptions show that if anything it was decreasing in the same period of time. Rudd may be right, but he should be offering some evidence. Radio National had an interview with Nick Davies this morning who has just written a book Flat Earth News. He's critical of the failure of journalists to question what they're told. I agree. I'm just trying to do my job. You can hear the Davies interview at http://www.abc.net.au/cgi-bin/common/player_launch.pl?s=rn/mediareport&d=rn/mediareport/audio&r=mrt_21022008_2856.ram&w=mrt_21022008_28M.asx&t=21%20February%202008&p=1

By: rossco

rossco — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 12:48:11 +0000

The problem with using averages is that is doesn’t really tell you what is happening on the ground. Some people might be drinking a lot more – the epidemic – and others drinking a lot less (me for example) and the average would stay the same. As long as the focus is on those who are drinking more then there may be merit in addressing this issue. My impression, not backed by any evidence, is that young people ie The problem with using averages is that is doesn’t really tell you what is happening on the ground. Some people might be drinking a lot more – the epidemic – and others drinking a lot less (me for example) and the average would stay the same. As long as the focus is on those who are drinking more then there may be merit in addressing this issue. My impression, not backed by any evidence, is that young people ie <30, are drinking more and harder liquor, and many don’t handle it well.

By: Patrick B

Patrick B — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 09:44:49 +0000

And the emphasis appears to be on binge drinking, that is consuming large amounts at one sitting. Not necessarily bad for health but can lead to all sorts of anti-social behaviour. I do agree that “epidemic” is a rather overused phrase these days, along with “hero”.
cheers
Patrick.

By: Graham Young

Graham Young — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 09:12:10 +0000

That’s within the national guidelines for healthy drinking. Less than three standard drinks per day.