Comments on: When Australians drink like Russians, it’s time for action

By: meski

meski — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 06:05:45 +0000

Norman Lindsay was one of those on the other side to the wowsers, when the name was coined.

Being dry is an extreme - it’s possible to drink without being a menace to yourself or society. A minority can’t do this, but should we legislate on the basis of that? Seems we do, at least in the ACT, where the local government has banned fireworks because of an irresponsible minority.

By: Michael Harvey

Michael Harvey — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:57:23 +0000

Ouch - I see your point, but you could also say Gandhi, Bertie Russell and Hitler, which is a fairly rounded non Judeo-Christian selection. Even Bob Hawke and Barry Humphries saw the wisdom in being dry.

By: meski

meski — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 02:15:43 +0000

It puts you in the company of Fielding, Conroy, Nile and Harradine though. You really want company like that?

By: Michael Harvey

Michael Harvey — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 02:08:23 +0000

Dear Meski,

“Wowser” in this sense seems to have been coined by John Norton, a particularly nasty piece of work. A hypocrite, an alcoholic, a wife-beater and standover man. So I’ll accept it as a compliment.

By: meski

meski — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:11:00 +0000

Wowser, “We Only Want Social Evils Remedied” - If the boot fits, and it seems it does…

“The colleague I mentioned died at the age of 55 which I believe is around the average life expectancy of Russian males” - Correlation does not imply causation.

By: Michael Harvey

Michael Harvey — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:53:55 +0000

Dear Edward, it is not wowserism to become more educated about the negative effects of an addictive drug - and to restrict its use among those least able to cope with its addictive and degenerative effects. You may be luckily free of these negative tendencies, but some are genetically susceptible. The families of those killed, maimed or abused by drunks would have something to say about your attitude I’m sure. I’m in favour of legalizing all drugs as a matter of fact (like Portugal), as prohibition (or a “war on drugs”) does not work (though it creates a nice little earner for crims), but this does not mean going the other way with blanket advertising and linkages with so-called “healthy” pursuits. The truth in advertising needs to come from the alcohol industry, just as with the tobacco industry. The colleague I mentioned died at the age of 55 which I believe is around the average life expectancy of Russian males.

By: Edward Thompson

Edward Thompson — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:05:06 +0000

Take your wowserism and piss off.

The analogy you have tried to draw between Australia and Russia shows how lightweight your argument is.

The problems of personal responsibility are further reaching than alcohol and treating people like children is not going to make it any better.

Why don’t we get it over with and start chanting ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’ while we march toward the authoritarian nanny-state everyone seems to be suggesting.

Either that or some have some truth in advertising and start calling yourself the temperance movement.

By: Brian Byrnes

Brian Byrnes — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:28:45 +0000

This study uses aetiologic fractions to estimate the number of alcoholic related disorders or admissions involved. Since the previous study (1996 ?) the average number of drinks considered risky or high risk has been revised down several times.

Does that not mean that the estimated numbers of alcohol related admissions automatically increases, not because of a real increase but because of the method of measurement changing ?

By: meski

meski — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:07:54 +0000

That’s “rites of passage”.

I’m doubting that this is no new research. Of a 98 page document, the references start at page 46. Nothing but experts quoting from other experts.

By: Michael Boddy

Michael Boddy — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 05:54:52 +0000

The above has nothing to do with climate change, of course. Or has it?

By: Michael Boddy

Michael Boddy — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 05:52:29 +0000

Have you noticed how many full pages and even double-page spreads of the newspapers are taken up with alcohol ads at the moment ? This wasn’t the case a while back.

By: Heathdon McGregor

Heathdon McGregor — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 05:15:52 +0000

Has there been breakthroughs in medical science relating to alcohol and tobacco? or is there just a wowser as PM so the other wowsers are coming out of the woodwork?
How long have we been told that alcohol kills brain cells? Is this new information?
Isn’t the Preventative Health Taskforce set up with the purpose of attacking obesity, alcohol and tobacco? If so why do we get another trumpeting article everytime they produce results that say what they already new but with improved bells and whistles?

By: Michael Harvey

Michael Harvey — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 04:29:52 +0000

Given the untimely death of an esteemed colleague recently, one of our greatest ever pianists, from alcoholism, and my own close brush with alcohol addiction, surely it’s time to recognize that severe restrictions (not prohibition obviously) need to be placed on this dangerous drug. As Dr Theodore Dalrymple points out in his book “Romancing Opiates” alcohol is far more lethal than heroin. We now know that the white matter (or myelin sheathing) of the brain continues to develop until AT LEAST age 30, and as this is the decision-making part of the brain, easily damaged by alcohol (and tobacco), surely we should be restricting access to alcohol (and tobacco) until this age, and also reconsidering at what age we hand out driving licenses? This information has only come to light recently, so arguments about “rights of passage” and “Australian culture” should really have no bearing anymore. Also, the carnage based on present rates of alcohol-related deaths will only rise exponentially if we are looking at the madness of increased population to 35 million by 2050.