Pay no attention to those agenda driven idealogues, Bernard. Once again, a gutzy, informative and unbiased fact-filled article.

If you are an occasional smoker at choice moments and not a habitual chronic addicted smoker, then why give it up?…everything in moderation is still waycool over Nanny State prohibition.

I do agree with Hamis Hill though concerning the issues facing young people. Among those many issues, parental pressure and expectations would have to rank pretty high up the ladder..I guess.

The cost in terms of ‘loss of quality of life’ would be substantially higher than the quoted $8b.

But what of it all. As much as BK is right, the likelihood of the health industry stopping their onslaught is about zero.

It’s the naggging quality to it all that makes it all so ineffective. I don’t see young kids today doing anything worse than I did 30 years ago.

If anything should and or could be banned it would be tobacco, said the man who is now in day 3 of giving up.

And not to mention the possible “cancerous” effects of some sun skin lotions. It’s a double whammy. Cut back their natural source of vitamin D and pump them full of toxins. Great!..innit.

May I remind a few of yuz that the “sl-p sl-p sl-p” health champaigne in W A has been torpedoed by doctors who now say they are seeing too many cases of Vitamin D deficiency in children. .Huh!..What do the social eng ineers care? Not their kids, somebody elses.

I have a post in moderation that explains something similar.

May I remind a few of yuz that the “slip slop slap” health campaigne in WA has been torpedoed by doctors who now say they are seeing too many cases of Vitamin D deficiency in children. .Huh!..What do the social engineers care? Not their kids, somebody elses.

Excellent article Bernard.

The Dunning - Kruger effect No2 - “fail to recognize genuine skill in others”…Bw-h-h-h-.

BAU would fall over tomorrow without our individual daily drugofchoice doses, varying by class, means and taste, but not intent - escape from what is.

This is how we cope with bad parenting and worse adult power relations and the nihilism of economic rationalism and its ecocidal consequences. Sobriety in this context is maladaptive, subversive even.

And to think I’ve only just subscribed this week. I could’ve saved my money and kept reading the Drum’s IPA pieces for free.

Libertarians shit me: for their selfishness and lack of empathy for those who haven’t been as lucky as them,, but what really annoys me the most is their Dunning-Kruger stupidity. First Dog better be pretty funny for the next twelve months.

The issue is not the opposition to alcohol consumption per se, but rather the gross abuse of alcohol that is so culturally systemic and socially destructive in sections of Australian culture.
Take a trip to the public hospital emergency wards on a Saturday night in any of Australia’s major cities fully to appreciate the poignancy the ’ vomiting class’ mostly young people exercising their freedom to clog up the hospitals and, to verbally and physically abuse medical staff. Oh, its a great laugh ! And so moving because people are expressing their god- given freedom to binge drink.
Or Bernard, why not enjoy the spirited revelry of King St Melbourne on a Saturday evening, where alcoholic abandon generates all sorts of lovely outcomes. Like someone I know, who pissed at the time, got into a altercation with another ‘liberated’ aggressive drinker, was king hit and has now lost his sight for life. Too bad ! They were all just having fun !.
Exploring the economic argument, who pays for that. Well the Australian community does, not the bloke who swung his hay-maker. I could go one, but I think the point is made.

No man or woman is an island in Australian society, and rights and freedoms need to be balanced with responsibilities (accepted) . While I can appreciate that some folk dislike what they see as ’ the nanny state’ , my take is a little different. Personally I get throughly sick of the ‘in your face’ slick advertising for alcohol consumption everywhere. This is perhaps another form of the ’ nanny state’, which suggests we should take every opportunity to self medicate ( self soothe ) with copious alcohol, whatever the occasion.