Keep up with
Newstalk ZB

Sat, 25 May 2013, 07:30

Have Your Say

Talkback 0800 80 10 80
Overseas +64 9 307 1080
Text 9292

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • RSS
  • Sign Up

Site Search

Search Search

Select your region:

Political Report: Drinking culture

Share |

By: Felix Marwick | Tuesday, August 28, 2012 6:20 AM

If some people are to be believed the youth of today are basket cases when it comes to their use of alcohol.

Images of drunk young people have been liberally plastered over TV screens and newspapers over the past couple of years as legislation reforming our liquor laws have been before our politicians for consideration.

Depending on who you listen to, young people are binge drinking, socially irresponsible, public vomiters with tendencies to be vulnerable to assault, STDs, and other assorted social nasties.

Doom, gloom, despair and despondency have been the order of the day.

While it's true to say we're not great when it comes to our drinking habits when young I think things aren't always as black as they're painted.

My generation was as bad, if not worse, when comes to youth drinking.

I started drinking at a time when drink driving was the norm. Every weekend we'd pile into a mate's car head to find a party, drink 'til we were sick, then we'd drive home. The very thought of having a sober driver barely crossed our minds.

That's one behaviour that's now no longer socially acceptable.

And our binge drinking was just as bad, if not worse, than those of young people today.

Sure, we might not have had access to RTD's or alcopops, but we still managed to get our hands on wine, beer, and hard spirits when we wanted to and we didn't drink them responsibly either.

23 years on and I still can't drink rum, thanks to a drinking incident that happened when I was just 16.

And the drunken slurred comment I once heard from a friend while binge drinking on a beach still resonates to this day.

The phrase "oh no, forest fire" will live with me for a long time. Shotgunning beer and using fireworks never ends well.

What I'm trying to say is that when it comes to considering the way we sell and use alcohol it's naive and wrong to single out any individual section of our society as being worse behaved than others.

Kiwi's have always had a tendency to be problem drinkers, and we probably always will.

The questions is, will law change drive culture change. Human nature being the way it is my guess is probably not.

And for the record, I don't drink much any more. About 10 years ago I came to the conclusion I'd drunk my share and would wait for the rest of the world to catch up. The funny thing is most of the people I binge drank with in my youth pretty much did the same.

Sometimes it's strange how things work out .

 

Larry's Memo: The Week That Was

Friday, May 24, 2013

The GCSB The Inspector-General of Intelligence looked into 88 spying case ...

Mike's Editorial: Council's living wage ...

Friday, May 24, 2013

Is it surprising that the Hamilton City Council is the first in the country ...

Political Report: Guy blames his own dep ...

Friday, May 24, 2013

The cock up, if you listen to to the man John Key likes to call "his Guy," ...

Larry's Memo: May 23

Thursday, May 23, 2013

The mop-up from the Urewera raids ... Urewera 1 The report by the IPCA on ...

Mike's Editorial: Urewera raids over the ...

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Can it be a surprise to anyone that Sir David Carruthers has found the poli ...

Political Report: Easier to condemn than ...

Thursday, May 23, 2013

It's always easier to condemn than it is to congratulate, you see it daily ...

Advertisement
Mike Hosking Breakfast
Advertisement
  • Murdered soldier's family speak of loss

  • Rugby: Hansen calls Ali Williams' decision courage ...

  • Super Rugby: Gutsy win for Chiefs over Crusaders

  • Tennis: Draw for Erakovic

  • Stranger-danger reminder from police

  • Attempted sexual assault after teen answers door

  • Skipper injured as ferry collides with water taxi

  • Pub brawl puts man in hospital

  • London attack: Lee Rigby's fam ...

  • Political Week in Review: 24 M ...

  • Paul Gibson: failings in disab ...

  • Nick Paterson: the alleged mor ...

  • Friday-Bashing Banks

  • Wednesday-Twister

  • Tuesday-Things People Do Not W ...

  • Friday-Budget Passion

National Convention Centre

Do you support the Government's deal with SkyCity over the National Convention Centre

Vote Now

View Results