Govt 'pathetically weak' on booze: expert

07:00 AEST Sat Jan 21 2012

AAP

A leading public health researcher has accused the Government of being soft on alcohol issues (ThinkStock)

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A leading public health researcher has accused the government of wasting parliamentary time by tinkering with alcohol laws and putting business interests ahead of the country's health.

Associate Professor Nick Wilson, a public health researcher at Otago University, has just released a study confirming smokers are more likely to be binge drinkers and his researchers have recommended tackling the two in combination, and increasing the price of booze and raising the drinking age.

However, in 2010 the government rejected many Law Commission recommendations on combating the damage caused by alcohol, including higher taxes and returning the drinking age to 20.

"The government batted it back immediately, the day after," Prof Wilson told NZ Newswire.

The National government picked up 126 of the commission's 153 recommendations, but changes have not yet been passed into law.

Prof Wilson said the commission's review of alcohol harm was state-of-the-art but some its recommendations had only been "slightly addressed, but in a very weak way".

"It's hardly worth bothering with the law if they are going to do it in such a pathetically weak fashion. Either do a proper law or don't waste Parliament's time."

Private economists' company BERL has put the social cost of alcohol harm at $4.8 billion but it has been estimated as high as $16.1bn.

Prof Wilson said one part of the government, the Ministry of Health, was trying to do something about the alcohol problem, but the another part was trying to be business friendly.

"The health sector picks up the cost of both smoking and hazardous drinking."

Health Minister Tony Ryall talked of quality control, Prof Wilson said.

"But what sort of quality control is it when emergency departments get overloaded and drunks punch up the staff?

"The downstream costs are landed with the taxpayer while the alcohol and tobacco industries are making money."

User comments

Soon people will be asking for the laws to be relaxed, as it will be illegal to smoke, drink, drive, dicipline your child or even your dog. Is the world we are in really best for the larger population or just the few that make stupid dicisions??? I completely agree. I could care less what a non smoker or non drinker thinks this is my life and I'll live it how i wish Obviously within reason. Unlike the freaks who think no one should drink or smoke while they live in their fairy land world.

How does rising the taxes and price on anything stop anything.....people and all their silly studies are wasting so much of our governments time. Its neither the price of alcohol or the advertising or alcohol that is the issue. The issue starts also with everyones studies and researches always keeping it in the media.If you keep rising the alcohl limit with taxes it is the people that enjoy it responsibly that loose, that is probably also including the researcher in this story. People dont realise how much of the price of a one litre bottle of alcohol the government gets in tax already. The producing companies make nothing as it is. Soon people will be asking for the laws to be relaxed, as it will be illegal to smoke, drink, drive, dicipline your child or even your dog. Is the world we are in really best for the larger population or just the few that make stupid dicisions????

it's no surprise our business friendly govt puts profits above health

The PM, Health Minister and the alcohol marketers should be made to attend the hospitals and see for themselves what the staff are having to deal with on a regular basis. let them be in the front line and see how they like it!

I was appalled to see the front page ad of the TimeOut weekly T.V viewing guide by NZ Herald with a picture of a women taking the top off a bottle of Speights Lager (with her teeth) advertising our Music Festival - Beer. As if people can't have a good time without drinking alcohol. Although there was a very small web site - drink responsibly.co.nz in the corner I think the message was quite clear that you would have a great deal of fun if you drank some beer. I do think it is time to stop this sort of advertising. We did it with smoking and we can do it with alcohol. Let's start NOW.

For a smoker to give up, it must be total and likewise for an alcoholic. Zero alcohol intake is a health plus factor for all. It's concealed from the public by the Ministry of Health's hands off policy on alcohol education and advice. It says that's the job of the Alcohol Advisory Council or ALAC. However, ALAC's vision is for a moderately drinking (of alcohol) society. The benefits of not drinking at all, over moderate drinking are ignored by ALAC, except for under 18's and that it is safest not to drink at all throughout pregnancy which should include a week before conception too. Drinking alcohol is promoted, without any label warnings, as a benefit to health, in moderation and that's wrong. Heart rhythyms alone are upset by alcohol for over a week after one drink. The healthy human body can certainly cope with alcohol as it can with many poisons but that is not to say it's a benefit to health as well. New Zealand shipping and aviation pilotage are alcohol free as proof.

Associate Professor Nick Wilson, public health researcher at Otago University is expressing a viewpoint that is shared by the majority of New Zealanders and the polls consistently reflect this. It's not just the huge cost to the community and tax payers, but the long term cost to the lives of ordinary Kiwis who feel a sense of powerlessness when they see their city centres taken over at night by their own children indulging in an orgy of drinking and its consequences. The hospitals reflect the carnage. The child psychologists report this effect on the lives of children beaten and abused and neglected by alcoholic family members. The statistics are there for all who wish to see. The politicians have a mandate for real reform. They don’t have a mandate for allowing this to continue. The NZ public want the country to grow into a better society. New Zealanders are no more liberal minded French than they are tee-totalling Indonesians. We want a government that thinks and acts for the people of New Zealand.

Most of my life has been associated with alcohol , i enjoy a drink now in moderation only, i have witnessed the long term damage it has inflicted on my family and friends , funny thing is most of them cannot see it. NZ governments have always pandered to business interests and the old boys net works. If the ministers involved cannot make the hard decisions then they should not be in power. I suggest they do frontline police, fire and ambulance duties for a period of time , only then will they see the carnage caused on the streets and in the home. Reading a report in the beehive is not the same as cleaning up blood and guts at the scene.

Professor..? I'm a Kiwi living in Perth and I can tell you that Aussies drink more than Kiwis do. The "Sunday Session" is also well engrained in the social culture all over Oz. It is prospering right now amidst a global financial downturn. It's people seem happy, they have disposable income and they have a great health system that works. They are also getting very tough on smoking. Good. NZ is different in terms of its peoples disposable incomes. Sure put the age up, but putting the cost of alcohol up through taxes will do very little in terms of incidents but will instead hurt the social economy, hospitality industry and hence the overall economy greatly. Why? Because socialising is already a costly exercise in NZ when earning NZ$. Its all relative. Accept the fact that alcohol is a social and business lubricant that provides the government with alot of money (through current taxes) that far outweighs the cost of alcohol related harm. Why upset the balance? Go and have a beer!

Here we go again putting people into categories, there should be more done on social behaviours and respect to others instead on pointing the finger at smokers, drinkers etc. I have worked since 1974 aged 15 pay my taxes etc and yes I smoke and like to have a social drink. I would like to know how much money is spent such reseach and where does it come from?. I work in retail and over the last few years have noticed a change in people in general and they don't have to be drunk to be abusive. The only ones that support increase in taxes to alcohol smokes etc are more likely earn more than than average person or don't drink or smoke etc. if we are going to put people into such categories.

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