Temeperance/prohibition On The Way Back?

[the_fuzz]

It's all these cursed RTD's that are the problem. "Kids" these days aren't tough enough to get a taste for beer. They resort to sweet leg openers that taste like cordial.

If you are too pansy to drink beer or straight spirits then you shouldn't have any other option. Problem solved

Exactly, when I was "underage" i.e. 15 years ago, we would get a bottle of Jim Beam and skull as much as possible, then run around the local park, pass out and then head home once I had woken up - or you would buy a case and you would walk around and not let anyone near it, you would pride yourself on how much you could drink.

Personally I do not think RTD advertising is a problem, I personally cannot think of much RTD advertising? There is heaps of beer and spirits but hardly any RTD in the media

I personally think if you want to curb underage drinking, you have to remove the access. Really crack down on it - jail people for buying beer for kids etc - make an example.

The problem there is that as soon as you hit 18, you are encouraged to go out and get completely shitfaced...... We are a drinking nation, through and through

 

[domonsura]

The simple solution would be to police and enforce the current responsible service of alcohol laws.

THANK YOU. Bout time someone said it. How about the govt gets off it's butt and works to properly enforce the laws that are in place, rather than spend their time and our money making up new ones that won't be enforced properly either.

Restriction of the advertising would be a good move too, specifically that of the beverages that are targeted at younger drinkers (RTD's).........just my opinion.

personally I think that schoolies in this country has a HELL of a lot to answer for in terms of starting the binge drinking ball rolling.....I mean who the hell sets up a great big party away from home for kids straight out of school and then expects anything else other than the carry on that happens? Duh..........

 

[geoffi]

Thomas Cooper did exactly that, he was also a commited Methodidt lay preacher whose founding father was John Wesley who being as well as a minister wrote amongst many things a health guide recommending the consumption of beer for good health, which came with a recipe for a good stout so I believe.

Cheers,
BB

My teetotaler dad was also a Methodist minister. I read some of Wesley's journals and was amazed to discover that the great man whose followers became such a crowd of fanatical wowsers actually drank wine and beer!!! The horror, the horror!

 

[SJW]

Well I don't know about fundamentalist religious organizations but I am a fully committed, born again, practicing Christian that was first save in a AOG church and attends a modern style Baptist church (not that threes any diff) and I am sure me or any of my Christian mates would be behind any push to increase taxes on alcohol or increase the drinking age to twenty one. I still maintain that if not Jesus, certainly his followers and people of that time would have been well into brewing and drinking beer and wine.
The way I see it threes a lot of other things these fundamentalist religious organizations should be putting there time and energy into like the child sex industry and pedophiles.

Steve

 

[geoffi]

THANK YOU. Bout time someone said it. How about the govt gets off it's butt and works to properly enforce the laws that are in place, rather than spend their time and our money making up new ones that won't be enforced properly either.

Maybe they are reluctant to enforce these laws because they spend a lot of time in pubs themselves.

personally I think that schoolies in this country has a HELL of a lot to answer for in terms of starting the binge drinking ball rolling.....I mean who the hell sets up a great big party away from home for kids straight out of school and then expects anything else other than the carry on that happens? Duh..........

The whole schoolies thing utterly amazes me. When I left school our idea of a celebrational holiday was a few days in a tent. Now they're booking out cruise ships. Where the **** does all this money come from?

 

[geoffi]

The way I see it threes a lot of other things these fundamentalist religious organizations should be putting there time and energy into like the child sex industry and pedophiles.

Steve

Mmm...well it seems some of them put all too much time and energy into child sex...

 

[PostModern]

I still maintain that if not Jesus, certainly his followers and people of that time would have been well into brewing and drinking beer and wine.

Jesus at the very least encouraged drinking. Hell, he turned perfectly good water into wine. You religious people should be making more of the wine thing...

 

[Julez]

Anyone else scared that fundamentalist religious organisations may be behind a push to increase taxes on alcohol increase the drinking age to twenty one and reduce licensed premises?

I'm scared of EVERYTHING in society being over-regulated. We are living in a police state!! I propose total anarchy and no beer excise :beerbang: .

But seriously, no, I'm not scared of this. Over-regulation just drives things under ground and forces people to be more creative in getting their fix, whatever it might be. The solution is to accept what goes on in the real world and educate people and take pro-active measures, not attempt to bury things. Hopefully the government is smart enough to realise this. Measures like responsible service of alcohol that apply to the liquor industry make sense. When in public, it's reasonable to expect people to behave in such a way that does not impact on other's safety or enjoyment. But trying to make people drink less by raising excise duties is unreasonable. We should have the right to get rip-roaring drunk in our own homes if we want to, so long as we don't adversely affect anybody else in the process.

Having said all that, look at what is happening with the tobacco industry...whilst I am personally quite happy I don't have to inhale second-hand smoke in public places, I wonder how smokers feel about being turned into social lepers? But then, this is modern society where majority rules. In the end, most of us just submit (it's easier). Meanwhile, our freedoms become less and less.

If regulation goes far enough, the risk to setup boot-leg operations may be worth taking for some and that's a much bigger threat to government coffers. So surely there is a point at which the industry is over-regulated and that can't be too far away!!

 

[SJW]

You religious people should be making more of the wine thing...

Nah just beer for me. I don't know much about making wine but it would appear to me you need a whole load of good real estate and a lot more equip. than u need for making beer. But I dont mind any white or a nice red.

Steve

 

[SJW]

Mmm...well it seems some of them put all too much time and energy into child sex...

Thats why I never understood those chatho's, no where in the bible does it say a man should not me married, I know i n 1 Corinth. it says it's better to stay as u are (un-married). But its is obvious that the temptaion is too much for some men. It would be for me but I can't understand what sort of sick, mental person would look to children to fill this void in their lives. God help anyone I ever crossed to even looked at a kid in that way.
Anyway lets get back to the good stuff BEER TALK.

steve

 

[schooey]

I am sure me or any of my Christian mates would be behind any push to increase taxes on alcohol or increase the drinking age to twenty one.

:huh:
Is there a 'nt or a not missing or you would support it?

 

[jonbob]

Snorting up a pile of white powder and then going out drinking might have something to do with the problem, anything that keeps you awake and drinking past the point where an 'unmedicated' person would pass out is going to cause problems. Of course taxing alcohol and increasing restrictions on its sale is a lot easier than stopping illegal drugs.

 

[SJW]

Is there a 'nt or a not missing or you would support it?

:lol: :lol: :lol:
Yes! There is a big NOT missing. Bastards.

 

[barry2]

My teetotaler dad was also a Methodist minister. I read some of Wesley's journals and was amazed to discover that the great man whose followers became such a crowd of fanatical wowsers actually drank wine and beer!!! The horror, the horror!

From one of John Wesley's books at

http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umhistory/wesley/primitive-physick/

" -- Thirdly, Observe all the time the greatest exactness in your regimen or manner of living. Abstain from all mixed, all high seasoned food. Use plain diet, easy of digestion; and this as sparingly as you can, consistent with ease and strength. Drink only water, if it agrees with our stomach; if not, good, clear small beer. Use as much exercise daily in the open air, as you can without weariness. Sup at six or seven on the lightest food; go to bed early, and rise betimes. To persevere with steadiness in this course, is often more than half the cure."

Not bad advice anytime.

 

[Gerard_M]

Jesus at the very least encouraged drinking. Hell, he turned perfectly good water into wine. You religious people should be making more of the wine thing...

yeah well if he had turned water into beer then there would be alot more people going to church!

Religion is a fine thing, in moderation!

Cheers
Gerard

 

[marlow_coates]

In response to the schoolies comment on it getting out of control. I reckon that every year everyone is up in arms about how much worse its getting. I also think this has been going on for many years and every 'next generation' says 'well it wasn't like that in my day'.
I went to schoolies, drank way too much, picked up as much as I could, and ate like a demon.
I also did not get into any fights or cause any public nuisance. Neither did any of my mates who travelled with us.

I reckon a lot of the problems at schoolies were always there but now due to the massively increased numbers attending the number of incidences is rising. This does not mean there is a higher percentage of trouble makers etc.. just more people overall.

As for increasing the drinking age, I am very against it. I think the younger someone can be introduced to small amounts of alocohol the better as they get a better understanding of what drinking is and how to be in control. Some of the guys and girls I went to school with who never drank at home were much worse when they started and took a lot longer to get a handle on it.

In response to fear of an over policed state, I am not that worried as homebrew is very tough to police..

I don't like the government taxing alcohol, smokes, cars, fuel etc... and then not spend that money on fixing the problems. Rather they use it to fill their coffers for other stuff.

Thats my rant anyway.

 

[boingk]

The whole schoolies thing utterly amazes me. When I left school our idea of a celebrational holiday was a few days in a tent. Now they're booking out cruise ships. Where the **** does all this money come from?

I didn't go, I couldn't be assed...I was 17 for one, I was working for another, and I didn't even have the cash to get up there for another! Ha! Basically its rich kiddies mommies and daddies that front up for extravegance as far as I can tell - the majority of mates that went crammed themselves into hotel rooms and rented houses and the closest they got to being on a cruise ship was drinking on the beach around a fire.

I'm scared of EVERYTHING in society being over-regulated. We are living in a police state!! I propose total anarchy and no beer excise :beerbang: .

But seriously, no, I'm not scared of this. Over-regulation just drives things under ground and forces people to be more creative in getting their fix, whatever it might be. The solution is to accept what goes on in the real world and educate people and take pro-active measures, not attempt to bury things. Hopefully the government is smart enough to realise this. Measures like responsible service of alcohol that apply to the liquor industry make sense. When in public, it's reasonable to expect people to behave in such a way that does not impact on other's safety or enjoyment. But trying to make people drink less by raising excise duties is unreasonable. We should have the right to get rip-roaring drunk in our own homes if we want to, so long as we don't adversely affect anybody else in the process.

Having said all that, look at what is happening with the tobacco industry...whilst I am personally quite happy I don't have to inhale second-hand smoke in public places, I wonder how smokers feel about being turned into social lepers? But then, this is modern society where majority rules. In the end, most of us just submit (it's easier). Meanwhile, our freedoms become less and less.

If regulation goes far enough, the risk to setup boot-leg operations may be worth taking for some and that's a much bigger threat to government coffers. So surely there is a point at which the industry is over-regulated and that can't be too far away!!

ANARCHY! YES! Excellent idea in theory and fantasy...unfortunately not so great in application...

I think the whole violence issue is caused by people who are just general dickheads anyway though, as I've got a bit of a theory that alcohol strips down your consciousness gradually until you get to the very base elements of your personality. I mean hey, you get horny, hungry and thirsty so why not violent, another evolutionary trait? Mates that are a bit aggressive at the best of times almost always have some sort of an altercation if somone doesn't try and stop them...its almost like a recipe - aggressive guy + lots of booze + misunderstanding = fight. Quieter and/or more polite mates generally never get into a fight if they can help it and try and get out of it, even if they really could kick the other guys ass. Its interesting...

As for boot-legging I've got a Valiant with lots of boot space, as well as a spare garage at home and heaps of space at the farm. This could be interesting B)

I reckon a lot of the problems at schoolies were always there but now due to the massively increased numbers attending the number of incidences is rising. This does not mean there is a higher percentage of trouble makers etc.. just more people overall.

As for increasing the drinking age, I am very against it. I think the younger someone can be introduced to small amounts of alocohol the better as they get a better understanding of what drinking is and how to be in control. Some of the guys and girls I went to school with who never drank at home were much worse when they started and took a lot longer to get a handle on it.

Yes, yes and yes! I'm with you all the way on this one. I used the small amounts I was allowed to take to parties in later highschool to find my 'comfort point' and overall limit in regards to consumption, and then more or less stuck to these. I think all the age-upping would do is encourage national outrage and increase underage drinking, not to mention set the fake ID business on fire!

 

[lowtech]

Whooee, After reading all that I'm glad that I'm an Athiest who doesn't watch dodgy(beat em up style) current affairs programs.

What is the world coming to?

 

[brendanos]

How about we, the brewers and beerlovers, each take a little responsibility and teach the rest of the country about how great real beer can be? Share your homebrew with your neighbour, tell your coworkers that beer and food matching is a really fun dinner party theme, give your friends beer for birthdays, and eventually (hopefully) with raised awareness will come greater respect.

In my shangri-la spirits, spirit based drinks, and any beer in clear/green glass would be restricted to 21 years, to give the kiddies at least 3 years of (more) sensible beverages.

 

[BrissyBrew]

The simple solution would be to police and enforce the current responsible service of alcohol laws.

When I lived in the country the rules were simple, if we went out drinking on our own and local police sergeant caught you, you got a boot up the ass (especially if you happened to be with his daughter). If there local sergeant thought you were up to no good he went and spoke to you and your old man and had words about your behaviour. On the flip side I would walk into the local pub well under age and order a beer, as long as dad was in the bar with me, of course if the local copper was in the bar it would be rude to drink alcohol in front of him, so you simply ordered s scotch coke instead.
humm looking at the more complex social problems kids face these days I feel old