Support for measures to combat binge drinking

kamobe

Fianna Fail say the findings of a survey by the Department of Health show there is public support for new measures to combat binge drinking among young people. The party's Dr Jimmy Devins said the time had come to "reposition drink in the publics mind." "It is clear people are concerned and want greater protection for young people, including restrictions on alcohol advertising on television and in other areas," he said. Today's survey found that a majority of people are in favour of stricter government policies on alcohol, including shorter pub opening hours. Deputy Devins is asking the Minister for Health to look again at the regulations on children in pubs and the laws governing the advertising of alcohol.

Stop the under agers drinking yada yada....

But if they shorten pub opening times, I swear that's it. Fvcking over our money, even fvcking over our country, but if they close the pubs, that will be the last straw.


(from Breaking news section on Unison.ie, no point in posting link cause it will just change)

Cheez

imho people binge drink cause they don't like where they're
going in life of have financial troubles etc

the government is not going to help that by they're
defining and confining bollox

as micheal moore said in the paper the other day
"a bully is a bully because he's insecure"
thats our insecure bully fuked up demoratatorship government im talkin bout case ya hadent noticed
/end rant

Shinji

imho people binge drink cause they don't like where they're
going in life of have financial troubles etc

I was interested to find the other day that the definition of "binge drinking" used by politicians isn't the same as the one I'd always assumed.

I - and most other people I know - would consider "binge drinking" to be like a slippery step on the way to alcoholism; the image of someone sat in the corner of a pub drinking themselves into oblivion on a regular basis, or kids getting really heavily drunk on alcohol they utterly can't handle. Obviously a negative kind of behaviour.

So I was somewhat shocked to hear a piece on BBC radio recently which had politicians talking about binge drinking, and giving a rather different picture of it. They were talking about students who don't drink at all during the week and then go out on Friday night and get very drunk (in a large group, as a social thing generally) - and this, apparently, is binge drinking.

Now... hang on a minute. We're not talking about borderline alcoholism here, we're talking about groups of people going out, having a good time and having a bit too much to drink.

When you next hear people talking solemnly about the evils of binge drinking, it's well worthwhile stopping them to ask what exactly they mean. Some of them are genuinely concerned about borderline alcoholic cases and what have you; but there are quite a few people who just disapprove of others having a good time, it seems.

Victor

Originally posted by Shinji
When you next hear people talking solemnly about the evils of binge drinking, it's well worthwhile stopping them to ask what exactly they mean. Some of them are genuinely concerned about borderline alcoholic cases and what have you; but there are quite a few people who just disapprove of others having a good time, it seems.

I was going to slam the ad I heard on radio this morning as being contrived in aan attempt to be "cool" enought to make ppl listen. However, Shinji, u have the wrong end of the stick. The drunk in the corner is most likely only killing himself. The office Friday night-Saturday morning binge, kills lots of people through liver & heart disease, cancer, accidents, road deaths, suicide & homocide.

po0k

This is my usual response to this subject:

Start people drinking earlier.
Parents should let young people (from about 12/13 onwards) have glass or half-glass of wine with their dinner (or at least on sunday's) and teach the children to respect alcohol by example.
Also, eventually reduce the drinking age to about 16/17 for beer/wine, but leave the spirits where they are as that is where alot of the "binge drinking" problems come from, little gobshítes thinking that because a naggin of vodka looks smaller then beer you can drink plenty of it.

One other thing in this country, which is only a small under-thought theory of mine, is that people rush to tank up on the cheaper drink in a pub before going to the club where drink is prohibitively more expensive.
People thereby force more drink through their bodies in a shorter amount of time then they would if they could drink relaxed.

Then of course you have the larger louts/rugby crowd who can't hold their drink.

Beruthiel

Parents should let young people (from about 12/13 onwards) have glass or half-glass of wine with their dinner (or at least on sunday's) and teach the children to respect alcohol by example.

I have done this and it works!!
She's had a few drinks, it's nothing special and she has decided not to bother until later.

How in god's name is shortening the pub hours going to do anything, except perhaps, have you binge all the more, just to get it into you before closing time.

DiscoStu

Didnt George Best have something put in his stomache to stop him drinking by making him violently ill every time he had some of the demon drink. make that yoke mandatory for under 18s and label it as an anti terrorisim measure and do-one wil question it.

DiscoStu

Also, eventually reduce the drinking age to about 16/17 for beer/wine

it worked on the continent why wouldnt it work here.

shortening pub opeing hours will not really make any difference as the majority of underage "bindge drinkers" dont drink in pubs they do it in bushes and on street corners. it will only piss off legal drinkers and increase the amount of booze drank before the early close.

po0k

Originally posted by DiscoStu
it worked on the continent why wouldnt it work here.

shortening pub opeing hours will not really make any difference as the majority of underage "bindge drinkers" dont drink in pubs they do it in bushes and on street corners. it will only piss off legal drinkers and increase the amount of booze drank before the early close.

Exactly.

Though regarding the continent, they've a better drink culture then we do, in the context of their attitude to it.

We'd need about a generation to "switch over" and it would not be painless.

Victor

Originally posted by Beruthiel
How in god's name is shortening the pub hours going to do anything, except perhaps, have you binge all the more, just to get it into you before closing time.

The problem is people going out in the afternoon (say Saturday football) / straight after work and drinking until 3 in the morning.

They should force pubs to sell more food.

McGinty

Change the pub culture here and you will eradicate the binge drinking. Most people think that to have a good time is to go to a pub, get rat arsed, then go home, I have to admit I was of the same mind set. However our European counterparts don't hold such a fascination with drink and getting drunk as we do here in Ireland and the Uk. However it is my belief that we need to provide alternative social outlets to replace the pub / club scene such as late night coffee houses, etc.

There is no point in the government shortening opening hours in pubs, people will just drink much quicker and drink at home prior to going out, that is what I used to do before going out. Provide alternatives that is the key to binge drinking, also find out why people think it is cool to get pissed/spend loads of money/vomit/end up in hospital/fighting/drink driving/etc. Drinking can be a messy business.

The Gopher

If the government actually made an effort to clamp down on underage drinking their alcohol tax income would fall by a huge percentage.Think about it-probably the majority of cider and a large proportion of vodka is bought by under 18s.And cheap beer like Dutch Gold sells to nobody over 20:D
Personally I only drink to get drunk,due to the fact I actually destest the taste of most alcoholic drinks.How somebody can go to the puyb and have a pint or 2 and go home puzzles me.I dislike the taste of most immensly and dont like the taste of vodka much either-I just drink it to get drunk.I always keep mints on me when Im drinking-I hate the taste to linger.
BTW I had about a third of a vodka botle and a can of harp tonight-unfotunately I was fairlsober by 11:30 and so never got my chance to do something very popular on these boards-drunken posting:D
If it isnt off topic what is the best tasting alcoholic drink?I normally drink spirits purely because you dont have to consume a huge amount to be drunk.
But honestly,yhe government would never introduce draconian measures on underage drinking-itwould harm their pockets too much.It is the same with smoking-despite smoking being more dangerous have you ever heard of the guards bringing a kid home for smoking on the street?Of course not-the gov knows that if they dont start smoking by 10-14 they never will,harming tax intake in the future.