yeah, alcohol seems to have its own gravitational pull socially here in oz.
Ive been sucked into it a little unfortunately. Binge drinking tons on weekends as a teenager has left me with a massive urge to drink when i knock off, and an urge to smash tons.
Aside from lifestyle factors, i think the fact i never progressed to spirits and only drank half decent beer/wine, has minimised the impact on my health, to a degree. My Czech side always told us that beer and wine is considered 'food', and therefore is taxed less because of this interpretation. You can drink it at 16, while hard liquor is 18.
They laugh and take pity on our handling of alcohol. When i was there, you can ride the train and openly drink pretty much, walking to and from events, festivals etc. I was actually surprised. Even the train stations had liquor, and gyms, as well as cigarette machines.
sadly,I believe the issue is that the drink isnt for us. We cant competently regulate and consume alcohol like the developed nations of europe can. Basically, they can handle their piss better than us. This is coming from all aspects: economic/social/moral.
This is why Im jumpin up and down, screaming from my sofa, for cannabis reform here! Bring the love back to Aussie streets, for goodness sake. show whats good for them, void of one punch assaults and pathetic domestic violence cases. we are a diverse island, The good sun is rich and pure. Ozone free
Harness this great brown lands gifts.
My vision of future aus would be:Go solar, cut ties with oil/gas/coal tycoons from middle east/africa. Use that power grow and Legalise pot. Cut ties with tobacco/alcohol lobbyists,marketing. Cheapen price of beer/wine, with hard liquor being classed entirely differently in the alcohol code, to beer/wine. Offer subsidised counselling to problem drinkers/smoker/other.