Thanks too, for making my point David, RTD’s are the equivalent of pre-cooked sausages for the barbeque, or supermarket “dressing” for the salad; fine if you’re too cheap to do it properly with real ingredients, but…

The harm caused by the minority who misuse alcohol is real. Prevention of that harm offers a net benefit to society.

It’s the same reason that we limit cars to 100km on the open road, even though skilled drivers with good quality machinery can travel safely at higher speeds.

If you’re looking to me for a solution to the misuse of alcohol, I do not have one and I do not claim to have one. People drink for different reasons and no single solution will address every situation – except for the blunt instrument of restricting access and raising the price.

That’s not my experience. People who gamble on Lotto still get mocked. We just try not to do it to your faces…

But the fact remains that they are causing immense harm and cost to society through their misuse of alcohol and ensuing behaviour.

So the reason why I, and the thousands of other drinkers who manage to enjoy themselves without impinging on anyone else’s existence, must be penalised for the harm that minority cause is….what?

I don’t mind chipping in for a sick-proof van and drunk tank for Auckland police – I’m willing to bet that being swept up, held overnight, hosed-down and sent home in paper overalls would modify the public behaviour of drunks pretty quickly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_alcohol_consumption

The stats are from 2005, but we have not increased consumption since then.

Youth have always misused alcohol, the entry to bars just made this more visible than the household venues of old. Those proposing we go back to the good old days – have to explain how they would control house parties when the age of social media/text messaging would lead to larger gatherings than in the past (this was how the 1981 era riot squads trained).

The new variable is the pre loading because of the cost differential to bar prices – and this is where RTR’s come into play. The only way to manage this is probably to allow party pills – give 18 year olds an alternative free of binge drinking. But somehow legislation actions seem to have resulted in an alcohol monopoly.

I give up numerous liberties for the benefit of society – as do we all.

It really sucks that a small minority of citizens ruin alcohol consumption for the rest of us. But the fact remains that they are causing immense harm and cost to society through their misuse of alcohol and ensuing behaviour.

http://nz.finance.yahoo.com/news/beer-kiwis-think-less-more-213203717.html

Basically says that Kiwis are becoming more discerning and drinking “craft” or “premium” beers – drinking less, paying more, and enjoying it more. That’s something I can relate to – my favourite beers at the moment are Hobgoblin and Abbot’s Ale, but with prices starting at around $5-6 and going up to around $9 for a 500ml bottle, they ain’t cheap.

DPF – it is misleading of you to use per-capita consumption figures when the individual consumption of alcohol is extremely varied.

The “crisis” in alcohol consumption is caused by the relatively small proportion of people who misuse it.

I’m sorry, but it’s you and the other wowsers who are being “misleading”, you don’t get to have it both ways. If “individual consumption” is extremely varied, where do you get off slapping every drinker in the country with your broad-brush penalties?

Walk into the bar sober.
Ask the barman what Bourbon Whiskeys he has.
One at a time, drink one of each as a Bourbon & coke.
Then, drink any bourbon & cola RTD.
You will notice it is practically the same price.
You will also notice how utterly utterly rank it is.

Congratulations! You are now cured of your RTD-drinking affliction.

The “crisis” in alcohol consumption is caused by the relatively small proportion of people who misuse it.

Dime would never drink an RTD, sugary garbage. but id never try and restrict them for peeps who enjoy them.

also “they only drink them to get drunk”. ummm problem? good for them.

Dime only drinks to get drunk. Love it.

Alcohol consumption, smoking (& recreational sex) are matters for individuals to sort out for themselves. The State may, as a sop, provide education outlining any perils but people should be free to do as they wish yet held responsible for their actions should they seriously infringe on others rights.

Apart from that any interference is ‘nanny stating’ at its worst.

I agree totally, this fixation on alcohol is wrong, poor behaviour towards fellow citizens is the problem whether people are drunk or sober.

Too often you hear people talk about “but I was drunk…” as though that were an excuse for things they’ve done.

Except a narrow state-controlled definition of marriage…

Suddenly it is an “alcohol crisis” and we need to “do something about it”??

Frack off wowsers, tut-tutters, conservosocialists etc.

If people want to smoke it is their business

If people want to drink themselves to death with coke it is their business

If people want to get shit faced on booze it is their business.

If people shit faced on booze cause problems for others lock them up until they are sober and then make them pay for any damage they have done – Simple

Most of those I’ve tried are far too sickly sweet to drink any quantity of.

Not so for wine which, I can assure you, is, if of any quality at all, damned easy to drink.

Disclaimer; I’m sitting here now awaiting the delivery of three cases of red out of the five I’ve purchased this week, all at less than $120 per case, delivered.

Where’s the “crisis” in that?

[DPF: Data on alcohol sold is hard to compile as there are tens of thousands of retailers. Unless there is some reason to think the level of inventory changes, then the industry assumes alcohol available for consumption is roughly equal to alcohol sold]

Hissiness is usually related to frustration and impotence. Good luck getting a party to promote your preferences.