Drinking in NZ

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networkn

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Topic # 231886 19-Mar-2018 09:41

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So as part of another thread, the issue that many in NZ have with drinking to excess became a focus. It deserves its own thread I think.

I'd encourage calm and rational reasoned discussion. It's bound to be a topic with some touchy and sensitive areas for some.

Is Drinking in NZ a serious issue do you think? Where do you think the Major blame for this lies? What do you think would help?

I am a big believer that the drinking age should never have been raised. As I mentioned in the other thread when 20-year-olds could drink, they would give alcohol to 17/18-year-olds, but when 18 years drink, they will give alcohol to 14/15-year-olds, which is much worse.

The decision making isn't as good in most people at 18 as it is at 20. I consider lowering the drinking age to 18 one of the worst pieces of legislation passed in my adult lifetime.

I'd also support either a zero tolerance drink driving limit (As in NO drinking and driving), but I also understand why many responsible drinkers would oppose this (as I am part of a sports club). Or a 1 Beer limit.

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Reply # 1979582 19-Mar-2018 09:47

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age is not an issue, attitude is. there're more f*ck face drunk 20+ yrs old in AKL street on Friday/Saturday then < 20 yrs olds.

Price of drinks in the bar is too high, majority of young ppl (I recon all of them), will drink 6+ drinks before going to the bar and drink more there to become wasted.

Also too much prohibition caused ppl buy strong alco and drink without food to become as much drunk as possible, instead of enjoying light beer on the sun/shadow.

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Reply # 1979591 19-Mar-2018 09:57

Well, I'd admit in recent times I haven't spent much time on Queen Street late at night, however, 2 weeks ago I was there and I don't believe I saw many drunk people over 18. Obviously can be a little hard to guage age and I didn't canvas scientifically.

I have seen plenty of cop shows showing people much younger than 20 drunk.

Attitude may be a problem, but whilst it exists, I think it's easier to control the drinking age.

It will take a LONG time to change attitudes, I am unsure we really ever will, but stopping 18 year olds giving 14 year olds alcohol is a key part of the solution in my view.

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Reply # 1979594 19-Mar-2018 10:02

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Massively increase drink drive penalties is a start. Fines must go up. Include instant car impoundment overnight at a certain level. Make that one week then one month at higher levels. Reduce exemptions. That wont stop the drink culture but it will remove a lot of it from the roads. Then the bars will complain as many will drink at home. At least that will keep it off the road and off the pavement.

Yes, it is ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, but its an easy fix for now

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Reply # 1979595 19-Mar-2018 10:02

Like a lot of us I guess in my early twenties I went through a brief period of trying to destroy myself with alcohol it didn't last long. I am a non drinker now and have been for around 20 years. My sons are very light social drinkers and my wife only drinks wine with dinner. These days I am on too much medication to even slightly contemplate having a drink.

In our home it wasn't a focus and wasn't an issue we just educated our sons and they could have social drinks at home so I guess it was not an issue for them.

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Reply # 1979598 19-Mar-2018 10:04

networkn:

Well, I'd admit in recent times I haven't spent much time on Queen Street late at night, however, 2 weeks ago I was there and I don't believe I saw many drunk people over 18. Obviously can be a little hard to guage age and I didn't canvas scientifically.

I have seen plenty of cop shows showing people much younger than 20 drunk.

Attitude may be a problem, but whilst it exists, I think it's easier to control the drinking age.

It will take a LONG time to change attitudes, I am unsure we really ever will, but stopping 18 year olds giving 14 year olds alcohol is a key part of the solution in my view.

2 weeks ago = uni start :) so this is not the right sample group.

fresh out-of-the-home students will try to show they are adults and able to drink, but obviously not.

I'd support drinking education along with sex education at schools, even I'd make vineyard/brewery tours compulsory with tastings for last yr at schools. Teach them the impact! Teach them that alco is not required to enjoy life, teach them how to drink if they choose to, etc, etc, etc.

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Reply # 1979601 19-Mar-2018 10:06

tdgeek:

Massively increase drink drive penalties is a start. Fines must go up. Include instant car impoundment overnight at a certain level. Make that one week then one month at higher levels. Reduce exemptions. That wont stop the drink culture but it will remove a lot of it from the roads. Then the bars will complain as many will drink at home. At least that will keep it off the road and off the pavement.

Yes, it is ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, but its an easy fix for now

Could be wrong here, but first offence drink driving is 6 months no license, is it not?

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Reply # 1979602 19-Mar-2018 10:06

I think we should maybe think about changing our attitude at home. Maybe let our 16 year olds have a small glass of wine/beer with food at the dining table.

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Reply # 1979605 19-Mar-2018 10:10

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gsr:

I think we should maybe think about changing our attitude at home. Maybe let our 16 year olds have a small glass of wine/beer with food at the dining table.

I am unsure how we will deal with this in my house. Neither my wife and I drink (I have never actually other than what would be prepared in food). We believe it's somewhat impossible to prevent our kids from doing it, we can do our best to encourage them not to drink or not to drink to excess, but the balance is hard to manage given both of us believe that there aren't any essential reasons to drink and plenty of potential downsides.

I managed to have a lot of fun in my teens and early 20's without any alcohol, though my non-drinking status caused a few issues over time. I still end up with the occasional halfwit trying to spike my drink when they hear I have never had alcohol. The disbelief from some people when you tell them you don't drink used to be amusing for a while, but now is tiresome.

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Reply # 1979606 19-Mar-2018 10:11

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I absolutely support a zero limit. I've always imposed that on myself.

Many drivers here are appalling enough when sober, so allowing drink into the mix is just insane.

tdgeek

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Reply # 1979612 19-Mar-2018 10:16

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networkn:

tdgeek:

Massively increase drink drive penalties is a start. Fines must go up. Include instant car impoundment overnight at a certain level. Make that one week then one month at higher levels. Reduce exemptions. That wont stop the drink culture but it will remove a lot of it from the roads. Then the bars will complain as many will drink at home. At least that will keep it off the road and off the pavement.

Yes, it is ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, but its an easy fix for now

Could be wrong here, but first offence drink driving is 6 months no license, is it not?

No idea, I thought any excess meant a fine and loss of licence. Now, for a responsible person who made a stupid mistake, they pay the fine, lose licence, learn a lesson. For the ones that are no hopers, they wont pay the fine, they will drive the car. A TV news item a while back was about boy racers. Heaps of fines, one had 30k worth, still smiling. Impoundment will hurt and be a major inconvenience, and they have to pay storage etc. dads car, tough, work car there would need to be some form of release for that. It needs to be tough.

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Reply # 1979613 19-Mar-2018 10:18

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I would describe myself as a light social drinker, now in my early 50's. I've never been much of a drinker (sure, a few times I've drunk too much to the point of being sick, but I could count those times on one hand).

I wonder why people feel the need to get totally wasted? It's not just young people, I know people my age who are also heavy drinkers.

Personally, I didn't like the way I felt the day after (hung over) and so that was enough reason for me to avoid it happening.

Am I unusal in my attitude?

tdgeek

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Reply # 1979626 19-Mar-2018 10:21

gsr:

I think we should maybe think about changing our attitude at home. Maybe let our 16 year olds have a small glass of wine/beer with food at the dining table.

I'm sure all good parents do, and did. The bad parents don't and won't

But, kids get out with mates, peer pressure, girls, being cool, that's a hard one to stop. If drink driving became percieved as NO NO NO, at least that keeps them off the roads. Too many consequences. They should learn the error of their ways earlier, so if so, that's a gain.

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Reply # 1979627 19-Mar-2018 10:23

tdgeek:

No idea, I thought any excess meant a fine and loss of licence. Now, for a responsible person who made a stupid mistake, they pay the fine, lose licence, learn a lesson. For the ones that are no hopers, they wont pay the fine, they will drive the car. A TV news item a while back was about boy racers. Heaps of fines, one had 30k worth, still smiling. Impoundment will hurt and be a major inconvenience, and they have to pay storage etc. dads car, tough, work car there would need to be some form of release for that. It needs to be tough.

The impoundment is a tricky one. Some families have a single car. In order to effectively stop a drink driver from drinking you'd have to match impoundment with loss of license term, and cost of storing cars would be beyond massive and logistically unmanageable.

Maybe Prison sentences should be introduced earlier.

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Reply # 1979628 19-Mar-2018 10:24

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MurrayM:

I would describe myself as a light social drinker, now in my early 50's. I've never been much of a drinker (sure, a few times I've drunk too much to the point of being sick, but I could count those times on one hand).

I wonder why people feel the need to get totally wasted? It's not just young people, I know people my age who are also heavy drinkers.

Personally, I didn't like the way I felt the day after (hung over) and so that was enough reason for me to avoid it happening.

Am I unusal in my attitude?

What I learned in my younger days, was that its more fun to be in a social gathering all night, and not be bent over the sink/toilet at 9pm

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Reply # 1979631 19-Mar-2018 10:29

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I will be FOREVER grateful to the parents of a friend of mine during high school who were exceedingly generous in allowing my group of friends, some who drank, to spend a considerable number of our Saturday nights at their house, in their basement using their pool table, stereo and watching movies, providing food and carefully supervising the drinking from a distance. There were very few rules (no sex and no drink driving). They had a list of parents phone numbers and parents were notified when the kids left if it wasn't the parents picking the kids up.

The value of this was immeasurable. I hope I am in a position to provide this in turn when my kids are teenagers or have somewhere similar and safe to hang out.

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