Australian Beverage Industry Digest No. 131

ALCOHOL POLICY

Move for warning labels – again A group of vocal anti-alcohol bodies, including National Alliance for Action Against Alcohol, Alcohol Policy Coalition, Vic Health and Victorian Cancer Council, are now demanding that confronting images be shown on both front and back labels of all alcohol products. The latest campaign, which targets beer, wine, spirits and mixers, aims to highlight public health hazards arising from risky drinking practices, not only just the dangers of drinking during pregnancy.

Vic Health considers that voluntary warning labels (introduced by some major winemakers) and the recent national Drinkwise campaigns are inadequate and argues for ‘more prominent labels with clear and visually arresting graphic information.’ It says ‘Bigger back label warnings are a must and the potential move to sizable front labels should be considered.’ [From Adelaide Sunday Mail, Feb 10, 2013]

In SA, the wine industry is vital to the state’s economy and Sunday Mail editorial comments accuse ‘extreme elements of the public health body’ of irresponsibility and conclude …’Let good sense and good science prevail and we will be able to enjoy a glass of our favourite drop in the future without being reduced to having to sip out of paper bags or cowering in the corner like drug addicts.’

Small bars As many as 20 small bars are expected to open in Adelaide’s CBD shortly, following the passing of legislation creating a new type of liquor licence. For 12 months these licences will be restricted to city venues but, if these are successful, the concept could extend to some suburbs and other regions. Although the Australian Hotels Association (AHA) – SA Branch considers that the 120-person limit for the new venues is too high, it did not lobby to stop the legislation. [From Adelaide Advertiser, Feb 20, 2013]

It's probably the logical next step to be fair ... unfortunately. The way of the Police State Western World we live in. People who enjoy a cigarette are pretty much stuffed so let's move onto alcohol. Once we have drugs, hunting, cigs and alcohol sewn up, what's next? Driving. They're already freaking our kids out of the pleasures of personal transport that isn't made by Avanti cycles.Then what?
The world right now is a funny old place, so laugh at the Elitist rule makers who are attempting to transport us back to the 1500's (for example), where they had almost complete control over the population.
New generations coming through are systematically being reverted to zero enjoyment (through fear & guilt (&distraction) - Religion anyone?) so the only things we actually have after a days work and raising a family is looking forward to/ thankfully .... is that next day of slog.
Haha. Fuck that.
Bottoms up to the Establishment. Cheers!