John MacDonald: Who says we're drinking responsibly?

Associate Health Minister Nicole McKee is talking nonsense when she says most of us who drink alcohol do it responsibly. 

If she really believes that, then she needs to get out more often. 

But I don’t think there’s much we can do about it because when it comes to alcohol, the horse has already bolted. 

She made the comment when she announced changes that will stop people opposing liquor licence applications if they don’t live in the area, allow hairdressers to serve alcohol without a licence, and let pubs and clubs operate outside trading hours during major televised events.  

Changes that have the alcohol lobby delighted and health campaigners despairing.  

The one change they aren’t making —which was on the cards— is a limit on the hours alcohol can be sold at supermarkets and bottle stores. They looked into stopping sales after 9 o’clock at night, but decided not to.  

Not that that will change things in Christchurch and Auckland where the councils have already decided to do what the Government has decided not to do.  

Either way, the reason the Government is giving for not cracking down on alcohol sales at supermarkets and bottle stores is that most of us who drink can control ourselves and “drink responsibly”.  

If that was the case, then why are alcohol-related cancers on the rise? Because we drink responsibly? No.  

If Nicole McKee is correct, why is it that alcohol is estimated to cost the country $9.1 billion in harm every year? Because those of us who drink, drink responsibly? No.   

I think the Minister is just saying it for the sake of saying it.  

Alcohol Healthwatch executive director Andrew Galloway is one of the people not happy with the Government.  

He says there is clear evidence that reducing access to alcohol reduces harm.  

He says: “More than likely, if anyone's going shopping for booze after 9pm at night, it's to top up.” Pointing to the most recent New Zealand health survey which showed that one-in-six adults —or 720,000 people— have what it called “hazardous drinking patterns”. 

Alcohol is also estimated to cost the country $9.1 billion in harm every year and is responsible for 129,000 ACC claims. 

You’re not going to hear me arguing against those numbers because they are reality. You’re also not going to hear me arguing that the Government isn’t doing enough to deal with the alcohol problem. 

Because I don’t think it can. Because, when it comes to alcohol, the horse has already bolted. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Morning's Podcast with John McDonald
from News talks'b.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
I Reckon. Associate Health Minister Nicole McKee is talking nonsense
when she says that most of us who drink alcohol
do it responsibly. If she really believes that, If she
really believes that, then she needs to get out more often.
But I don't think there's much we can do about it,
because I think that when it comes to alcohol, the
horse has already bolted. She made this comment yesterday when

(00:37):
she announced the government's tweaks to the drinking laws, which
is all they are. They're just tweaks, tweaks which have
the alcohol lobby delighted and tweaks which have the health
campaign as despairing. Let me sum up the changes for you.
People are only going to be able to oppose liquor
license applications if they live in the area where the
license is being applied force and no more out of

(00:57):
town as poking their noses in Good call hairdresses are
going to be allowed to serve you a glass of
Bubbly when you go in to get your hair done. Well,
when I get a haircut doesn't take that long. I'd
have to really knock it back other changes. It's going
to be easier for pubs and clubs to serve alcohol
outside trading ours if there are major televised events happening.

(01:18):
So we're talking about things like the World Cup World Cups.
But the one change they aren't making which was on
the cards is a limit on the ours that alcohol
can be sold at supermarkets and bottle stores. Now it
looked into stopping grog sales after nine o'clock at night,
but it's decided not to. Not that that will change

(01:40):
things in christ Church City because the city Council has
already decided to do what the government has decided not
to do either way. Either way, the reason the government
is giving for not cracking down on alcohol sales at
supermarkets and bottle stores is that most of us who

(02:00):
drink can control ourselves and quote drink responsibly. But if
that was the case, then why are alcohol related cancers
on the rise because we drink responsibly? No? If Nicole
McKee is correct, why is it then that alcohol is

(02:22):
estimated to cost the country nine point one billion dollars
in harm every year? Is that because those of us
who drink drink responsibly?

Speaker 1 (02:33):
No?

Speaker 2 (02:35):
So I think the minister is just saying it for
the sake of saying it, not that I think limits
on supermarkets and bottle store sales, by the way, would
make one bit of difference. So I think the government's
made the right call on that one. But what I'm
doubting is whether Nicole McKee believes what she's saying, because
all of all the people I know who do drink alcohol,

(02:58):
I can't think of many who do this so called
responsible drinking. Sure they don't drink or drive, or drink
and drive, but you know, if they did drink responsibly,
they would drink far less than what they do drink
right now, for a start, and that you go around
town pretty much any night of the week and where

(03:19):
there are places open, there will be no shortage of
people drinking booze. One of the people not happy though,
with the government is alcohol Health Watch executive director Andrew Galloway.
He says there is clear evidence that reducing access to
alcohol reduces harm. He says, quote just what he's saying today,
quote more than likely, if anyone's going shopping for booze

(03:39):
after nine o'clock at night, it's to top up. And
he points to the most recent New Zealand Health survey,
which showed that one six adults one in six have
what it called or described as hazardous drinking patterns. That
equated to seven hundred and twenty thousand New Zealanders. And

(04:01):
alcohol is estimated to cost the country nine point one
billion in harm every year and alcohol is responsible for
one hundred and twenty nine thousand acc claims. Now, look,
you're you're not gonna hear me arguing against those numbers
because they are reality, that they're facts. But you're also
not going to hear me arguing that the government isn't
doing enough to deal with the alcohol problem because I

(04:23):
don't think it can. I don't think it can. When
it comes to alcohol, the horse has already bolted. You're
not going to get politicians advocating for the drinking age
to go up. You're not going to get politicians saying
there needs to be a number or a limit on
the number of license facilities in towns and said he
you're going to get that the horse has bolted.

Speaker 1 (04:47):
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