Feedback Hot Issue: binge drinking

Well done on the Rudd government for kicking off the debate over binge drinking; long overdue and a serious issue to tackle. In order to improve alcohol related crime though, the government needs to take firm action. There is a culture of 'excess'. Hotels are open too late and RSA is a joke. To get on top of this this problem, hotels need to have trading restricted to between 10am & midnight. Further restrictions should be placed upon the service of high alcohol drinks (shots, etc).

If hotels are detected not adhering to RSA, firm and swift action should follow (eg. forced closure for 72 hrs). Maybe then the opportunity for binge drinking doesn't exist as much and licensees may actually fulfill their role in maintaining safe social environments, rather than simply trying to fill people with as much alcohol as possible.

Rod Smirh

Wagga Wagga NSW

29 April 2008

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I happen to be under the drinking age and know that over a half of the people im my year at school have tried alcohol or drink excessively. Despite this, there are people in my year who refuse to drink and their choice is respected as much as those who chose to drink. Drinking is a personal choice as much as a cultural issue.

Despite the fact that it is a worrying issue, and it does worry me as I see potential geniuses drink themselves silly often enough, it's up to them to say 'no'. Maybe if we were actually preocupied with something interesting, especially at school, and if we were treated like responsible members of society, we would act responsibly in turn.

Ellen Gava
Adelaide SA
20 April 2008

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Alcoholism is a disease - not something to feel shame about. Society needs to be educated in having an empathetic approach to alcoholism and addictions. Both diseases are related.

Yes, crime is crime. But until the shame is removed, alcoholics and addicts only go back to the comfortable ways that are the addiction. See this as a disease like cancer or diabeties instead of a shameful thing.

Gillian Cripps

Gympie QLD

19 April 2008

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I see Kevin Rudd says: "Binge drinking among young people is a community wide problem that demands a community wide response"

Yes exactly- well put. For too long we've been blaming young people for drinking too much, when it's the whole of society at fault. About time someone pointed out the link between sport & alcohol too. How we can hold sportsmen up as heroes & mentors is beyond me.

Sean Adams

Naracoorte SA
14 April 2008

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You really need to think about a teenagers mind set when it comes to binge drinking; all the advertising in the world is not going to solve this problem. Lift the age limit to 21 and fine (heavily) those drinking under 21 and those that supply it to under 21s. Then you really need to reduce the hours that people can drink - reduce night club hours and no alcohol sales on Sundays.

Narelle Green

Gatton QLD

13 April 2008

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I welcome the government changing the culture in Australia with binge drinking/alcohol abuse. Young people are not the only ones who drink too much and often.

I would like to see the pubs and clubs forced to stick to the law of not serving people when they have had too much too drink. I can tell you for a certainty from experience that over-serving is a problem. I believe it is a widespread problem of not caring about the amount of alcohol people have had and more interested in the money to be made.

Let's change the culture to think it's not very Australian to let somebody continue to drink when you know they've had too much to drink. These people then go and fight or go home to their families and take it out on them.

Suzanne Lee
Bondi Junction NSW
9 April 2008

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I don't see how penalising night clubs is going to fix anything. If anything, night clubs are good because they are "activity" centric; people go there to dance. Bars on the other hand, the "activity" is drinking. I personally drink the mixed drinks everyone is talking about, because I don't like the taste of beer and I like to drink something out of a bottle, my personal preference. I am not a "binge drinker".

Binge drinkers drink all varieties of alcoholic beverages. Talk about mixed drinks, what about shooters? Isn't it up to the individual to learn to control their consumption of alcohol and if they cannot, have avenues for them to get help? How does closing a night club early or banning mixed drinks going to solve the problem? People are going to drink if they want to drink, night club or no night club, mixed drink or other type of drink.

Julie Russell
Sydney NSW
8 April 2008

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Start the education for this problem in schools. It is in high school that it becomes a "right of passage" to go to parties and get drunk. It is kind of an acceptance thing which starts many young people on the road to becoming drunks. Kids in schools have absolutely no idea of the ramifications of drinking and people from AA could really hammer home truths by telling their stories.

Close the "dance clubs" which are only an excuse to get drunk. Shut those "night clubs" at midnight and prosecute to the hilt any publican or server of alcohol who disobeys the responsible alcohol code. And if kids are charged with being drunk then their parents should have to front up in court too. To often parents negate their responsibilities by "not knowing" and I find that just a cop out.

Ajoya Leah
Inverell NSW
4 April 2008

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Why is alcohol advertising such a big part of the advertising scene? I have to admit the best adds are alcohol adds there is always humour, sex and larrikinism - all the ingredients that young people relate too and are influenced by. I enjoy these adds and will probably miss them but I only enjoy a very occasional drink and am 60 years old (not really in any danger of being adversely influenced ). I encourage the Government to ban TV advertising of alcohol - just like cigarettes.

Vincent Virgona
Talofa NSW
2 April 2008

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I agree that binge drinking among our children is a very serious issue. I support others saying that the alcohol content of these delicious mixed drinks should be halved or heavily reduced as the reality is if something tastes nice, you drink more. Perhaps another consideration would be to reduce the closing time of clubs. These young adults are often having these pre going out drinks then going out later and staying till closing time.

Donna Fittock
Bellerive TAS
1 April 2008

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I know young people have to take more responsibility for their actions but so do the people who are serving the alcohol. There are signs in every bar and club: 'IT IS AGAINST THE LAW TO SERVE SOMEONE WHO IS INTOXICATED' . This law is being ignored.

Publicans do not care about the health and welfare of these people. All they care about is the money. Can we please make these people more responsible when they break the law.

I know it is a bit of a grey area and after talking to my local police difficult to enforce but please we must try. It breaks my heart to see someone buy a drink over the bar who is using that bar to stand up. And I see it all the time, particularly in the smaller country pubs. Also mixed drinks in a can that taste just like a soft drink do not help.

Sue Hunt
Briagolong VIC
25 March 2008

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Maybe we need to pout the drinking age up to 21 yrs old. This will help to reduce the road toll - all young drinkers wouldn't be able to drink. Stop the drunken behaviour of the young people and it will save a lot of lives, injuries and pain to family and friends.

The young people don't have respect for law & order, for the police, or anybody's property. They think they are untouchable. Drinking age 21 is a must in today's society.

Steven Cruden
Cobram VIC
24 March 2008

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CONGRATULATIONS to Kevin on the marvellous job you are doing. My suggestions to combat binge drinking are:

1. Flavour all alcohol to taste like nasty medicine;
2. No car parks within 5 km of pubs - make them walk;
3. Reduce grog outlets - especially in the ACT;
4. Increase penalties severely for drunk and disorderly behaviour; and
5. Send the parents to drug counselling.

Vicki Alsop
Margate QLD
23 March 2008

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IF THE government really want to stop the desire to binge drink, it will need to provide youth with a meaningful and satisfying life, a life wherein personal aspirations have an opportunity to be expressed and fulfilled and where an acknowledgement that a playing field can never be level.

Of course, this is an impossibility in our supposedly 'free world' economic system, so the next best course of action would be to 'normalise' drinking in an attempt to educate people generally about the pleasures of moderate drinking to complement a good meal with fiends and family and as an additional source of relaxation and sociability.

Kaye Separovic
Artarmon NSW
22 March 2008

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BINGE drinking is aided and abetted by the clubs and pubs in which it occurs. Serving teen drinkers more alcohol than is decent boosts the bottom line. Should any drinker cause trouble or fall about drunk, then they get tossed out by the security and the venue still looks reasonably civilised.

Does the management know that teens are binge-drinking? Of course they do! Does the management care? Of course they don't.! That's not their job. Their job is to produce a pretty bottom line and prevent the drinkers from wrecking the place.

Throwing money at the problem won't work because the pubs/clubs don't have a problem to fix - they have their patrons under control. They don't care what happens when they spill out the door.

Olive Weir
Calamvale QLD
20 March 2008

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IT IS not surprising that young people binge drink. Their parents do it, so it's a case of learned behaviour. Also parents haven't got control of their kids anymore, and won't say "no" to them, or provide guidance.

The whole nation needs to be targeted, not just young people, to learn to practice moderate and responsible drinking. Our culture is obsessed with drinking. It's as if you can't have a good time unless you've got a beer/wine/ whatever in your hand. We've all been programmed by aggressive advertising to believe that non-drinkers are wowsers and drinkers are fun.

Women equate equal rights with keeping up with the boys or exceeding them in their drinking habits - even though they hate the word "feminism" they still claim and enjoy all the rights that have been won for them as by products of the feminist struggle, like standing shoulder to shoulder with the men in the public bar. I was one of the feminists who invaded public bars in the 70's and demanded this right.

Maree Yates
Coochiemudlo Island QLD
19 March 2008

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CONGRATULATIONS to Prime Minister Rudd for the initiative of the National Binge Drinking Strategy.

Heightening awareness of the dangers of alcohol consumption in developing adolescents is commendable. Hopefully this awareness will flow on to the public's consideration of the dangers of women drinking whilst pregnant or when planning pregnancy.

Carol Devine
18 March 2008

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I MIGHT be looking at this too simplistically; but if sale of alcohol was banned between midnight and 10am, the abuse of alcohol would be lessened, the clubs could still stay open, especially those with live bands and dancing, and quite possibly the clientele might still have a good time.

Karyn Beers-Daniel
15 March 2008

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WHY IS it that smoking companies have been stopped being able to advertise their product, and not alcohol vendors?

Would not banning alcohol advertising aid in the reduction of the binge drinking that is affecting the nation?

Sean Archer
St James WA
13 March 2008

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