August 17, 2025 • 40 mins
Alcohol has been a problem in New Zealand for a while, and it may be time for a reality check.
A study out of the United States found only 54% of adults consume alcohol, the lowest ever recorded since tracking began in 1939.
A study in New Zealand found it to be 76.3% here - so where is the gap, and when will we finally do something about it?
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
And welcome back. This is all welcome in. This is
the Weekend Collective and this is the Health Hub.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
And with me.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
He well, I'll introduce him in just to Tick, just
because I've already said who it is. But we'll talk
about what we're going to start the conversation with. And
you can give him a call if you've got questions
about anything else to do with your health and your
lifestyle and all that sort of thing. But alcohol has
been a problem in New Zealand for a while, and
we wonder sometimes you need a bit of a reality
check with things. There's a study in these states, there's
a gallup pole that found only this is a surprising one.
(01:09):
Whether people are telling the truth, of course, that's one thing.
But only fifty four percent of adults consume alcohol, the
lowest ever recorded since tracking began with this pole in
nineteen thirty nine. A study in New Zealand found out
that we're, oh, we're right on the booze seventy six
point three percent. So what's with the gap? Are we
going to do something about it? Should you worry about
(01:29):
how much alcohol you can consume. Well, I guess that's
a question of how much you're consuming, and if it
is a lot, then maybe you should worry about it
and think about it. But anyway, we're going to have
a chat about that and joining me. He is, he's
about to retire. What the hell I wonder why he
was looking so happy. He's got this sort of it's
almost festive shirt. It's just in two tones, but it's
very sort of nature oriented. Yes, we'll put that's one.
(01:52):
But he will never blend into the wallpaper. John Cameron today, John,
how are you going?
Speaker 3 (01:56):
We're going great? Next one?
Speaker 4 (01:57):
Yes, So I had a glass of wine with lunch
to wave to fess on that uh with my son.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
No, don't tell us, my son, don't tell us, keep
it to yourself.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Kubia River shadow mate, very nice?
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Was it small? I was the ones where they pour
it up to that line and you go, I was pouring.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Don't worry to me.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
It was a very small poor Okay, okay, so you
left at least a centimeter before the top. Okay, Well, hey,
it's worth stopping to think about alcohol because, of course,
in generations gone by, it was a ride of passage.
The yard glass and drinking and the six o'clock swell.
(02:33):
And I would say as an just as as an
adult and doing this job, I've probably only really been
made aware of how alcohol can have a very you
know how, the risks of drinking alcohol, whether it be
you know, half a glass or you know, five pints.
I've only really been aware of that in the last
(02:55):
three or four years, and more recently even just the
studies that say, look, any form of any alcohol is
not good for you.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
Yeah, okay, so there is no safe level of alcohol.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
That's the one.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
So alcohol is a class one carcinogen. In other words,
it's a cancer causing.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
What's class one, Class two? Class Class one means it
really does. What's class two then or class three?
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Don't worry about those, but everything we've got a New
Zealand's got a very interesting history of alcohol use from
the days back when, pre European days, alcohol was not
a part of New Muori society.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
It just didn't happen.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
And it was introduced by the first settlers who were
out here in the back of beyond, and alcohol became
a really big part of their lives and we carried
that through. You were far too young to remember the
six o'clock swill where pubs used to stop.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
At six o'clock.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Just historically, Yeah, everyone used to tie it. And what
do people do. They leave work and they hoe into
it as much in their system.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
They would run to the pub and get as much
as they possibly could in that hour between five and
six o'clock when they got thrown out. And we've carried
that binge process through into a lot of our behavior.
Alcohol's closely associated with sport. You don't go to a
sporting club without there being a bar, without people having
a drink after the game. Now is that going to
(04:14):
cause a lot of problems? The data would say yes,
the actual cost of the country from the damage from
alcohol is outstandingly high. But we're not Wowser's okay, So
where does alcohol fit within our society? It's a drug.
It is very easy to make that drug, so you
can't prohibit it. We tried that in the States and
look what hapened. So how do you manage it within
(04:37):
New Zealand society? And I think we need to change
how we look at alcohol. It's not that you need
to go out and get plasted. As teenagers and young
adults they don't have frontal lobes. They don't know about consequence.
So alcohol plays a big role in their lives and
hopefully we will survive it and come through the other end.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
Okay, that's great. So if we're looking at.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Alcohol, I mean, how do you approach it? For instance?
You know, it's like when you doctor, you just know
too much about everything in a way, don't you do
You sometimes think that see something and go, oh god,
this is another bit.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
Of bad news.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
I was once asked by just A Shanna Las when
I was appearing to the witness and a high court
in Auckland about what was what would I consider to
be an excess of alcohol intake?
Speaker 3 (05:19):
I reply, anyone who drinks more than me, ma'am.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
And I love the fact you do a high court trial.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
High court trial.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
Yeah, so that that what was the context of the trial.
I'm not going into it, but it was something like that.
So how do we equate alcohol use? We talk about
standard units of alcohol, all right, So a standard unit
is ten grams of alcohol. So a stubby bears about
one point three glass of wine should be somewhere around
about one one point two. We say that a low
(05:49):
risk alcohol intake for a female is less than ten
standard units a week and for a male lesson.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
So what's that? What do you describe that? What sort
of intake is that are safe or what not?
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Low risk?
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Low risk?
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Low risk? Which is what rap?
Speaker 2 (06:02):
So low risk for a female? I'm just down. I'll
take the time as well. It's always got a good
on the fridge. Well, I mean it's good. It's good
to actually remember the stuff as opposed to what was it?
Was it ten bottles? Was it ten units? And what
does that look like? You know? Okay, say again, so
women women.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Less than ten standard units?
Speaker 2 (06:21):
What does low risk mean?
Speaker 4 (06:23):
It means it's less likely to cause significant harm both
physically societally psychologically.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
So probably not a problem for you, but not guaranteed. No, Okay.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
I can remember working on another radio show and the
two young DJs on that were routinely doing forty to
fifty standard units of alcohol in a week, and they
thought that was normal, and so that what we consider
normal and abnormal very tremendously.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
I had a young woy, so.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
What is it for men women to ten drinks? And
the other thing I did pick up reading the gallup
of news, was it doesn't mean that you can have
ten drinks in one sitting as well, because the binge
drinking makes it much higher risklessness exactly.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
So he spread that out over a week.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
The harm it was highlighted me by young guy I
saw a couple of weeks ago and last week. This
young chap was in the justice system, is working within
the justice system, and he had a big problem with alcohol,
and it took him around about four years to work
out that he needed to stop drinking. His liver was shat,
(07:30):
it was basically a mess. His liver functions were way off.
He would sit inside his house and get the alcohol
delivered to him. He is now alcohol.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Free for two years.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
Wow, he's back into his job. He's got his kids
coming to him and.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Cause the change for him.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
I mean, it's a big, big psychological battles, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
Trying to find that key is incredibly difficult. You've got
to go and work with the individual to find what
their key is. Keep asking, keep suggesting, keep working with
them until the individual with the cold problem decides that
there's a big enough problem to do something about. And
then it is almost impossible to do on your own,
absolutely impossible to do.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
On your own.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
You need help to manage this addiction.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Yeah, okay, Actually, just a quick thing, where does the
standard drinks come from? Because I haven't seen a single
I haven't seen a single unit of alcohol sold like
a beer can or whatever that demons. I would have
thought that there'd be some commonly consumed amount of liquor
(08:37):
that would represent a standard drink. But every time you
get even just a cannaby or to say this is
one point one point three standard drinks. Where does the
standard drink size come from? Is it sort of like
a cup.
Speaker 4 (08:48):
It's a way of measuring ten grams of alcohol. It's
ten ten grams of alcohol is one standard drink. Okay,
So it's a way of enable people to qualify how
much alcohol is. Yes, I love a glass of wine
with a meal, says yourself, A little small wiki at nights.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
I do have. Yes, I do have a little whisky
at night. I've gone back to the Scotch.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
That's right, there's only one sort of whiskey.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Actually, I think we've had this conversation before I went
off the American whisky. I went on it then, but
I probably have five standard drinks a week. My whisky
would probably maybe six, it'd be three probably yeah, three small.
Speaker 4 (09:28):
So we always know that people underestimate there and they're
drinking by at least fifty percent.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
So we'll get you.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
Around about nine to ten years a week, which is
which is which is fine. Okay, it's a low risk
level of doing it. And I take it that you
haven't had a recent dice, you haven't had any family
violence you've had, you haven't lost job from doing this,
you haven't lost friends from doing this. So when it
impacts on life, either your physical body and rex you liver,
(09:55):
stomach ulcers, or brain injury. They're the only only organ
that alcoholics die well with is beautiful kidneys. Their kidneys
are pristal. Why I don't know. But every other organ
in their body, their nerves, their heart, their lungs, deliver,
their brain are all rubbish.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Isn't funny that?
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Yeah, kidney's just function. Keep me.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
We'd love your cause on this as well, because I
think one of the big one of the questions is
is there a point where you hear some public health
information and you actually decide to make a change in
your lifestyle, because I mean, otherwise, what's the point in
having news on this stuff. We must at some stage
it must hit home that you think, because for me,
it's the recent information about you know that even just
(10:37):
that you said it's a class one casinogen makes me think, Okay,
I might not be giving it up altogether, but I'm
going to seriously think about whether if I have a
drink that's it for the night, one beer and that's it,
and maybe I'll do that three nights a week. I
say it sound like a wowse is saying that.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
But it's something you have to be really careful in health,
because we were the big negatives.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
If you do this, you will die. You will die
more earlier.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
Than this, and it's not there. What we're trying to
say is to get the best chance of a really healthy,
fulfilling life. Here's some things that you can think about
and how they fit him with your life, and you
can make those choices and decide. Now we're not saying
do not drink. We're saying, okay, be aware of what
you're doing and those behaviors.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Yeah, So have you ever changed your drinking habits as
a result of not some personal tragedy in hitting the
wall and finding out that you had to make a
change otherwise that's it. But did you ever make a mummy?
You can tell us about your journey if you have changed.
But also have you ever listened to public health information
and gone, you know what, maybe I need to have
a look at what I'm doing. We'd love to hear
(11:37):
from you on eight hundred and eighty ten eighty. By
the way, John before we go to the calls arch Jelly,
And I've mentioned him a million times on air because
he's one hundred. I still laugh that they gave him
his lifetime award when he was on hundred and two.
I think, God, he must have really annoyed someone that
they waited till he was over one hundred to give
him the lifetime membership in his Enland athletics. But that guy,
I'm dying to know f and when he's consumed alcohol,
(12:00):
because he's one hundred and three and he doesn't look
a day over seventy three. He's phenomenal, isn't he. Do
you know anything about whether he would have a tipple
before even when whether we do know walks about three
or four kilometers a day and does the three sets
of thirty half squats or something. The guy's a machine,
keep sective, keep moving. There you go, because we're going
to talk about that about living longer if we get
(12:21):
the time. But we're going to we're talking booze. Okay,
you'll cause eight hundred and eighty ten eighty John Cameron GP.
By the way, he's still going to continue on my
show's retiring, but he's going to keep his registration so
he can come on and tell us what we're doing wrong,
what we're doing right, right right, that's the one that's
focused class half full, John, that's the one. Okay, John, Hello.
Speaker 5 (12:42):
Hello, how are you?
Speaker 3 (12:43):
We're good things and myn.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Lloyd, I didn't say a thing. Hello, what would you
like to talk about?
Speaker 6 (12:51):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (12:52):
Just alcohol?
Speaker 2 (12:54):
Yep?
Speaker 6 (12:56):
Yeah, No.
Speaker 5 (12:57):
I drink probably a bit three times a week. Yeah,
and I hear these things called eight point six percent,
and I have the eight of them.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
Is that persision?
Speaker 5 (13:14):
Do I have to tell you what they are?
Speaker 2 (13:17):
No? No, no, But do you drink that over three
sessions or do you drink three times?
Speaker 3 (13:22):
Eight?
Speaker 5 (13:23):
You know, drinks eight point six percent at one time?
And I have a bit eight of them each time,
about three times a week, and I feel really good.
I talk to people and everybody talks to me, and
I don't feel stupid or anything. You know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Do you do you do you worry about whether you're
drinking too much?
Speaker 7 (13:50):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (13:51):
No, I feels so good. I love it.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Okay, Okay, what can we say?
Speaker 4 (13:59):
John Well would say that that is a level of
alcohol which replace you you're healthy at risk basically, it's
all we can really say.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Now more sorry, carry on, John.
Speaker 5 (14:11):
Okay, So my health is at risk?
Speaker 6 (14:14):
Ye?
Speaker 5 (14:15):
What a bit the happy coin?
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Well, okay, what about the fact that it perhaps you relax.
Is there a benefit because because of that?
Speaker 4 (14:24):
Or it's actually a depressant drug? Okay, it's a drug
which slows brain activity.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Yeah, and it is.
Speaker 4 (14:32):
It does tend to make you more introspective, more inward looking.
Depression becomes more within people who are drinking alcohol, and
it doesn't solve the problems.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
So yeah, at three times eight, I know, we don't
know what we're doing eight percent, So whatever it is,
it's a couple hundred miles At eight percent, it's probably
sixteen meles times eight, which is that's that's ten standard
drinks twelve standardrinks in a session, isn't it?
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Yep?
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Okay? If somebody's really enjoying it. Does it mean there's
a level of addiction in there or not just likes it?
Speaker 4 (15:06):
No? No, No, there is a level of addiction there.
I only really know for an addiction is if there's
a difficulty in changing that behavior or the effect that
it has on things outside your immediate So that.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Would be something for John to ask himself, would be okay,
if you didn't do it next week, John, if you
gave up for a couple of weeks, could you handle it?
And if you couldn't, then that might indicate.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
A little bit careful of giving up.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Okay, Sorry, I won't say that. You offer that question,
you pose that conundrum form you.
Speaker 4 (15:31):
Yeah, you come down slowly. There's think called delirium tremors,
which is acute with drawl of alcohol. Okay, It's got
about a thirty percent death rate.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
Okay, So don't do what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
You don't want to stop drinking.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
And even at that level, that level, that would be.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Yeah, you want to be very careful about it.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Okay, so slowly, um, okay. So but if you are
consumed because you did pick up the phone, John, and
I think if here's the thing, if you picked up
the phone and you called us. Even though you say
you love what you're doing. What you're doing, I think
there's something in the back of your mind which is
curious to curious to answer that question for you, that
you might be looking to think about the Wait, what
you're doing? Where would he go first to? If John
(16:06):
or anyone listening thinks, you know what, I might just
have a chat with someone about this.
Speaker 4 (16:10):
There is a Community Alcohol Drug Service in every every
healthy area in New Zealand. It's freely available by phone.
There is eight hundred numbers. There are text call numbers
Elden phone book. But look under the Community Alcohol and
Drug Service it's called CADS.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
It's the twenty four sound And look, John, I know
I did jump to some conclusions there, but you did
call us, so you're obviously thinking about it. So if
you are concerned, then then do something about it. I
think talk to someone. Let's go tell you what. We'll
come back with more calls in just a moment. Helen's
next it is twenty three past four News Talks. There'd
be it's welcome back talking alcohol with John Cameron. And
(16:48):
have you changed your drinking habits lately? And you know,
did you do it because you've got warning signs? Or
you listen to the public health advice Helen, Hello, oh y.
Speaker 6 (16:55):
U hi Tim and doctor John. Now might sound like
a Prouvalis question, but it isn't actually because I think
about it a lot now with Mediterranean countries where they
drink with their meals and it's watered down. What happens
with fetal alcohol syndrome is much much bad. What's what's
(17:15):
the story?
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Will the Mediterranean diet? Yeah? Except no, no, no.
Speaker 4 (17:18):
What she's talking about is how in France you'll have
a glass of wine with every meal. It normally comes
in the big caraph and it gets fifty to fifty
with water. In all honesty, I do not know. Figure
alcohol syndrome is much more common than we would believe.
It's basically where alcohol is ingested during pregnancy and it
has an effect on the fetus as it develops, and
(17:39):
that's lifelong.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
We don't know what I know.
Speaker 4 (17:42):
We don't know what a safe level of alcohol and
pregnancy is. The only safe level we know is zero. Yes, yeah,
but I'm sorry, I can't tell you what the race is.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
Fig.
Speaker 6 (17:53):
It's something that actually intrigued me. I keep thinking about this,
so I'll ring up and ask you.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
I do know that I've looked at this over a
little bit in terms of alcoholism rates in different countries.
Of people tout France as like, oh, they could start
kids drinking and they introduced to at last one when
they're fourteen or fifteen. But actually the facts are for
France that it has a really high rate of alcohol consumption.
It's got some major problems with it. So that the
evidence that's come out, Helen is that the idea of
(18:22):
introducing your children to alcohol at an early age is
a really bad idea.
Speaker 4 (18:26):
And if you've got a population that has a high
level of alcohol, that certainly will be care happening during
early pregnancy. So I would assume that the rates of
fig cloutcol syndrome are high in that country.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
In those countries, France rates sixth sixth globally, and per
capita consumption about thirteen and a half liters of pure
alcohol per adult per year, which I think is quite high. Okay, right,
thanks for your call, Helen. David.
Speaker 8 (18:52):
Hello, Yeah, hi guys, how are you We're good?
Speaker 7 (18:57):
Good?
Speaker 5 (18:58):
Hi?
Speaker 8 (18:59):
Just interesting. I was just driving when I heard the
conversation and so I had I had a birthday for
coming up four years ago in October. I'm in my
mid sixties now, and a bit of a build up
to it, and you know, and then I decided to
have an alcohol free week after my birthday. And four
(19:21):
years on, I haven't haven't had a drop. I haven't
gone back to it. And it was prime and I
wasn't a big drinker. I just but I would have
a drink probably every night, and it was funny, it
was more of a habit. And so that habit in
the first week was the thing that sort of worried me.
And it was like, jeez, I kept thinking about it,
(19:42):
and so then I thought after a week, started to
get a little easier, and then I thought, well, I'm
just going to continue this. And then, as I said,
long story short, I have I haven't touched it. And
it's not because I've got a problem. I just haven't
missed it, you know. And I actually feel certainly better.
I think my clarity of thinking is better. Actually, I've
(20:05):
been through one of the most stressful couple of years
with various things, but I think I handled that stress
a hell of a lot better than I would have
done had I been turning to the bottle for for
some comfort. So it was, you know, it was just
surprisingly easy. And which do you feavorit of overseas travel?
And you know, the I like the idea of having
(20:29):
a drink in some of these exotic places like France
and Italy and on planes and stuff. But I just
but I haven't.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Did you substitute it with something?
Speaker 8 (20:38):
What?
Speaker 2 (20:38):
Did you like? Fruit juice or you know, cranberry juice
or something, or a lemonade or a.
Speaker 8 (20:44):
Good question, because initially it was that habit was kind
of like I needed to have a drink of an
evening when my partner was having a drink, and so
I would have either a zero alcohol beer or I
have a you know, can butcher or something, you know,
like something like that. But now now I don't. I
hardly ever have a zero alcohol year. It's just no
(21:06):
point really, and I've got just really quite happy with
mineral water or even just tap water, to be honest,
just so I got out of the habit of having
to substitute the alcoholic drink with another type of beverage.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
Did you have to valid validate your decision? Most your
peer group, in other words, was there pressure for you
to come off and keep drinking.
Speaker 8 (21:35):
No, definitely not pressure. There was some ribbing that took place,
and especially a bunch amongst my golf mate who because
obviously after around on a Saturday, the losers have to
buy a beer and then everybody's you know, enjoys that.
So initially it was kind of a bit of I
was the butt of a few jokes. But no, they don't.
(21:59):
They completely understand now it's never even a topic of conversation.
And no, and I guess I'm in a group of
friends and family members who completely understand it, and so
that's probably helped. And my partner still has a drink
most days, and I certainly don't have a I'm not
(22:21):
like a reform smoker or something where you you're.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
Not lecturally right. Your partner at it, What do you say?
What do you have when you go after a golf game,
you're also in the bar, what do you have?
Speaker 7 (22:30):
Coffee?
Speaker 3 (22:31):
Coffee? Fair enough?
Speaker 8 (22:32):
Because we play, we play first thing in the morning
and so by the time I'm ready for a ready
for a coffee sort of when we finished. So if
it was later in the day, I would I'd probably
just have them as it serves sparkling water or mineral
water or something like that.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
So yeah, I guess, yeah, that's sparkling water. It's so
funny enough. It's simple things like a sparkling water or something.
It's got just slightly different. It's first quenching. I actually
make make sure a point at home for me. If
I get home and I'm really thirsty, I'll have a
couple of glass of water, and then that'll tell me
if I still feel like I want to. For me,
(23:06):
it's the flavor. That's why I like whisky. I don't.
I actually don't like feeling the effects of alcohol. I
don't like it at all. So that's why it's so funny,
isn't because some people would drink for the effect, whereas
I like the taste of fermented spirits. I guess and
wine and a deep red wine or something and almost
makes one to have one.
Speaker 3 (23:24):
Now you're starting to celebrate.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
I'll stop it, go get me some handytails.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
Well, I made the choice and living the choice of
alcohol free. It's for some people. It doesn't have to
be for everyone.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
Yeah, good on you. By the way, if you do
want a beverage of a weekend, just tune into the
Weekend Collective on I'm here every day. You know, there
we go non alcoholic beverage. I had to throw that
one in there. It's not the first time the name
has been used as some sort of pun. Yes, right,
let's go to Stephen.
Speaker 7 (23:55):
Hello, Hi, how are you good?
Speaker 2 (23:58):
Thanks?
Speaker 7 (23:59):
Yeah, good good. I'm the eighteen months of the Old
Bears had a sort of an epiphany. Wolfshad New Year's
party adding months ago, got about three in the morning,
cheering away on the Albiga and I'm not really enjoying
this anymore and sort of said, oh, I'll have January off.
So I had January off. In the first of February,
(24:20):
I had one beer and said, nah, it's not spinning
my wheel. So I carried on. And yeah, I stopped
drinking spirits eighteen years ago because I've worked out very
slowly that you can't drink spirits the same as speed
you drink beer, because there wheel fall of quicker, and
I've sort of found you got to be black and
(24:42):
white instead of you know, some people your with the
likes of smoking, Oh, I'll only have a cigarette when
I drink. Well, you know, for most people that's you know,
just about every weekend. I've never smoked, but yeah, I
just find if you make a decision, you get on
with it.
Speaker 4 (24:59):
Yeah, positives, negatives of where your life is at the
moment from alcohol point of view.
Speaker 7 (25:04):
Oh, positives. You know, things are in the back of
my head. You know, my kids are reaching teenage years
and you don't want to be that guy that's no
good on a Sunday. You know, I want to be
able to keep up with them. I find that I'm
in control. You know. We went that took a few
other couples to the Rugby All Blacks and Hamilton the
(25:26):
other weekend, and hy drove around town. When we went
to the bars, I was more than happy, more than happy.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
Step.
Speaker 7 (25:34):
Yeah, every day is the same. You know, you wake
up early, and you get up and you do something.
Was you know the old beer? Yeah, because yeah, I
was never one or two. You know when I was
younger twenty it was twenty four.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Yeah, and yeah, yeah, well, well good good on you
for making that change. It's funny that he mentioned touched
on something about with kids and things, and I think
for some people when their children are getting a bit older.
The twelve thirteen, fourteen, you realize a few years time
they're going to be going to parties, is going to
be alcohol there. And I imagine there are quite a
(26:07):
few people who actually look at themselves and thinking, what
am I modeling? I certainly do think that. I mean,
my kids would hardly ever see me drink because usually
if I have something that's half they've gone to bed.
Not that I'm hiding it, of course, it's just that she.
Speaker 4 (26:19):
Put them to bed at four o'clock in the hour.
But yeah, how do you do that modeling for your kids?
And then when your teenagers, they will.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
Look at alcohol.
Speaker 4 (26:29):
It is part of the testing out of boundaries and
testing out of life. You're allowed to give your opinion
to your kids, and you're allowed to keep them supported
and safe. They will go out and do silly things.
That's what teenagers are designed to do.
Speaker 2 (26:42):
Actually, I do have a sense just through I mean
the school my girls go to, they've as part of
their you know, the studies they do. They've recently done
something my fourteen year old has done, had to do
an assignment about alcohol and drugs abuse and things like that.
And I read the stuff that she had written and
what she came up with herself, and I thought, and
(27:04):
she embraced it as well. And I do get the
sense that it's no longer the right of passage doesn't
exist as broadly in New Zealand society, that alcohol is
an important part of that, whereas when I grew up
it was. I mean I never did the yard last
tuning because I never, but we certainly still had the
twenty first and there was a lot of beer being drunken.
(27:26):
I think there was a toger being worn. But that's true.
I think we changing, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (27:34):
I think we are changing how we work with alcohol,
the role it plays in our lives and hopefully but
still family violence, road traffic accidents, acc claims. If you
looked at it as a drug, we're bringing this drug
into the country at the moment. There is no way
we'ld make it legal. No, no, absolutely no way. But
you can't make it illegal now because it's sumption and
hearing part of ourself.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
Well, because there are when you I mean, that's that's
a different that's a different sort of discussion, isn't it.
But but you know, there's a big difference between having
a half a glass of wine or a glass of
wine three times a week, and you know, snorting cocaine
or consuming meth. I guess because there's no moderation point,
is there. I guess much more difficulty. We'll be back
(28:17):
with more calls. We want to hear from you though
about have you changed drinking habits and what motivated it?
Because it's it's a fascinating discussion just here for the
callers already. But I think the other quirky thing is
sometimes sometimes people think, well, hang, I want to go out,
we go to mate's place. I don't want to hold
a glass of water in my hand. I want to
hold a glass and wore water. Something in my hand
that feels like I'm sort of in the festive spirit.
(28:39):
Doesn't need to be alcohol. What did you substitute it with?
Because I reckon there are a list of drinks that
are festive sort of drinks that are non alcoholic that
feel like you're still you know, I'm not explaining it
very well, John, you want to bring back Clayton's. Oh,
I'm old enough to know what Clayton's was. The drink
you have when you're not having a drink. I never
(29:01):
tasted the stuff, but I'm not sure I was convinced,
but well take your call though, I eight hundred eighty
ten eighty with quite a few texts to get on
top of as well. But Steve is next news talks,
there be twenty one minutes to five. Yes, news talks.
They'd be talking about alcohol and have you changed? Why
did you change? And by the way, somebody has just
said how many standard drinks from a male for low risk?
I missed it. It was fifteen less than fifteen fifteen
(29:22):
yeah over a week, yep, and not in one session. Yeah,
that's the one. By the way, the fun fact I
do like I'm going to share this with the audience
was the gallup pole around the States talks about who's
given up drinking and what propensity. Men down eight percent,
down five percent, women down eleven. It talks about people
of color down two, white people down eleven. They're drinking
(29:44):
different age groups. But I love this one. Republicans down
nineteen percent, Democrats down three percent, so the Democrats still
need to get on anyway. I love that a political
difference and how much a drink. That'd be interesting for
New Zealand. But anyway, let's carry on show with the course.
Steve him and.
Speaker 9 (30:03):
John Steve, if I could just give you a little
bit of my background, and as a question that I'd ask,
I started very young. My first memory of being drunk
was when I was eight years old, and throughout my
teenage years, the drunk a hell of a lot until
(30:24):
thirty when I went through my first rehab, and after
that I gave up for about a year, and over
the years I did another three rehabs until I was
probably in my mid forties. And the thing that changed
(30:45):
for me was that I moved away from the group
of people that I was associating with. Everyone that I
associated with drunk and drunk a lot, and when you're
in that society, you think it's a norm that you're
in a one percent of society, you know. The thing
that changed for me was moving away from that, and
(31:09):
I'd lost a lot through life, especially good friends. That
was the kicker for me, really. But one of the
questions I'd like to ask is that when I was
going to AA, one of the things that they used
to reiterate all the time is if you have one
more drink, you're going to be basically worse than you
(31:33):
were and it's going to kill you. And when you're
going sort of four or five times a week, and
you keep reiterating that. For me, I'd have periods off, okay,
and then I go back to my drinking. And what
was getting me was like what actually, I almost became
(31:55):
a suicidal at one stage.
Speaker 10 (31:56):
O came.
Speaker 9 (31:58):
But reiterating that that if you have another drink again,
you're going to you know, it's going to kill you.
I really don't think it's a good It's not a
good I think it's a great way. It's not a
good message because if you continue to reiterate that all
the time and you do go and drink, and I've
(32:20):
seen it with people that they just go, oh, well,
I'm drinking again, so I'm going to absolutely hammer it.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
Yeah I've had one, I must will go the whole hog.
Speaker 10 (32:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 9 (32:32):
Yeah, Well I changed my attitude and that because you know,
I was beating myself up so much. I thought I'm
going to stop beating myself up. I still drink, but
I cut nothing, nothing nowhere near what you know, like
I might have six a half a dozen beers a
(32:53):
week now, Okay, Well.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
That's a big change, Steve, that's a big change.
Speaker 4 (33:00):
So yeah, whatever you're dealing with an addiction. You very
very really, I don't think I've ever seen it have
one attempt at stopping it normally does take three, four, five, six, ten, fifteen,
twenty twenty attempts at going. And so I think the
message that if you have one more drink, you're going
to die. I don't know how a how a A
(33:24):
puts that message out. It's probably I would see it
as a line that if you are not drinking at
the moment, if you have one drink, you're going to
bring back all of the potential downsides that you had
when you were drinking. So if you're going to reinstitute
that behavior and with all the risks associated with it,
I think the message that you'd have one more drink
you're going to die that fear tech fear does not
(33:44):
actually lead to change and behavior.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
Is it better to just recognize, look, if you do
have a drink, you are potentially opening the door again
or even that's not helpful, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (33:54):
And support, and a lot of the things like AA
does is you have that support person that if you
have a drink, you've got someone there to fall back
on who will support you back into where you need
to be. So acknowledging that you will have slip ups,
you will have times where you can't manage what you're
doing with human beings. That's the way human beings go
and human brains work. But the end game is to
(34:14):
get to where you need to be.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
Yeah, thanks for your call, Steve, and best of you.
By the way, if you are and Steve mentioned them,
you know how we thought about self harm and things
like that at one stage in his life. If you
are someone who's struggling with them whatever issues, whether it
be alcohol or anything, and you are feeling that way,
please please text or call one seven three seven. It's
(34:39):
a fantastic initiative that the government's got where you will
even if you text, someone will call you and be
in touch. But if you are feeling that life's getting
on top of you and it's too much, please just
text or call one seven three seven.
Speaker 3 (34:53):
Okay, yep, absolutely.
Speaker 4 (34:55):
And the other one is the Alcohol Drug Helpline, which
is eight hundred seven eight seven seven nine seven oh
eight hundred seven eight seven seven nine seven.
Speaker 2 (35:04):
Right, we'll come back with some more in just a moment.
It's twelve minutes to five news talks. He'd be with
doctor John Cameron. We're talking about alcohol based on the
gallup pile, which showed that in America people are drinking less.
We're still drinking a lot more in New Zealand. But
anyway you old to have it changes what motivated it,
and we'll see if we can squeeze in a couple more.
Cause only a very limited on time callers, so please
let's keep it concise if we can.
Speaker 11 (35:25):
Phil, Hello, oh good eight, how are you good? Excellent? Excellent.
I'm trying to change my drinking habits now. It cost
me my job. And one of the things that's one
of the things that I'm trying to change it for
is I've always enjoyed the drink and liked that, but
(35:47):
I've always known that the answer isn't in the bottom
of a bottle if you've got problems. But I don't
want to get to the stage where I can't ever
have a drink for the reason I'm fifty eight for
the rest of my life now wherever long that's going
to be. Because I'm an alcoholic, so me or I
think I may be an alcoholic. So for me, that's
(36:08):
the one of the big reason why I want to
change my drinking habits, and I'm knocking it back to
like nothing. I'm doing well if I have six a night,
but my liver comes right as well. It comes from abnormal.
It's John doctor John window, and then it comes right.
So I'm wondering what sort of damage I'll be doing
if my liver's shown the results is normal. What sort
of damage would I'll be doing to my brains and
(36:29):
other things? That say six a night or.
Speaker 3 (36:32):
Even less six what's a night? Sorry?
Speaker 11 (36:34):
But six beers a night, six beers a night, and
a can and a six dubbies like six three milk.
Speaker 4 (36:41):
Okay, So you run about eight standard units to night.
So that will still be having an effect on your body.
Speaker 7 (36:47):
You'll live.
Speaker 4 (36:48):
Your live is the most amazing organ or regenerate itself
tremendously if you stop hitting it on the head. But
there will still be damage going on. And what we
worry about with the liver is not the damage to
the liver cells, which we can see in the liver enzymes.
It's a damage to the physical structure, the fibers dissue
structure that the liver cells sit in, and that can
get damage. You end up with cirrhosis of deliver and
that really is irretrievable. It will also be doing damagus
(37:11):
to your stomach, to your brain, especially into your heart.
Alcoholic cardiomopathy is one of the leading causes of heart
failure in this country, probably secondary to a schemic heart
disease or blocking off for the arteries. So alcohol is
a direct tox and to heart, muscle.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
Liver, brain.
Speaker 4 (37:29):
Are you seeking any help in changing your habits?
Speaker 11 (37:36):
Not really in terms of AA and things like that.
I have been through a few AA meetings the past,
but I have mental health problems as well, and I
do speak with a psychologist regularly. But yeah, not in
terms of AA. I'm just trying to knock it back
on myself because of that fear, basically because of the
fear that I get to the stage where I say, right,
(37:56):
you know, I've got to admit to myself because like
you said, you've got to find the key, which was
one of the things you said about when you identify
a problem, then look at the keys. Because I just
excuse me, you know the fact that I've got to
say I can never have a drink again. So that's
why I want to knock it back so I can
show that I am in control of it.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
You know, good to have support with those decisions as well,
and don't take it on on your own, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (38:19):
It's normally the last question I asked someone when they
leave the room and says, can you see a life
ahead of you with our alcohol? And if there's a
hesitation the answer is no, I know we've got a
potential big problem, right, so but God seek help And
it's not the end of the story for you, brother.
Speaker 2 (38:33):
By the way, I mean on we were talking about
France before, just briefly, but seven percent of the deaths
in those aged over fifteen in France are attributable to alcohol.
So yeah, there's some stats on a country that you know,
supposedly people drink start drinking at quite an early age.
Speaker 3 (38:52):
Bring statistics.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
We've had about one and a half minutes nell if
you if you can be concise, we can squeeze you in.
Speaker 10 (38:58):
Yeah, you go, hello, how are you good?
Speaker 2 (39:02):
Things?
Speaker 10 (39:04):
You know, schooling and just yeah, I've been alcohol free
for the last three years. And when I think about it,
it's basically I started drinking when I was I think fifteen,
and then from then on just been drinking ever since
the last well three years ago and what stopped you. Well,
(39:28):
like you said before, I had a like an epiphany,
like it was a Christmas Day and three years ago
and I was at my in laws and we were
having a few years and then well whatever reason, I
just said, you know what, this is going to be
my last one, and then from then on, I just
yea to stop from there and then. But at the
same time, when I do look at look back into
(39:49):
it into the life that I drinking often was the
weekend because I wanted to. I think I used excuses
to drink, meaning like used to be family functions and
my family used to go out and stuff like that.
I to go out, but at the same time my
wife was kind of like, no, you don't need to,
and then I'll get so frustrated and angry.
Speaker 2 (40:11):
Well heyll unfortunately we can't explore that any further. But
I'm just well done for making that decision and whatever
it took, because it's not that I wouldn't have loved
to if we've got on to you a few minutes earlier,
but we are got about thirty seconds to go before
we wrap it up, So thank you so much for you.
Cal I've got about twenty seconds now, John.
Speaker 4 (40:29):
But hopefully some people are looking listening into what we've
said today and thinking about how alcohol, what role alcol
plays in their lives. That's all I can ask. Think
about it, be aware of it. Yeah, talk it over
with your loved ones, see how it turns out.
Speaker 2 (40:40):
Excellent, Thanks John, look forward to next time. I retired
in two weeks, but he'll be back.
Speaker 3 (40:44):
I'll be back anyway.
Speaker 2 (40:45):
We'll be back with smart money Neck.
Speaker 1 (40:47):
For more from the Weekend Collective, listen live to news
Talks it'd be weekends from three pm, or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
And welcome back. This is all welcome in. This is
the Weekend Collective and this is the Health Hub.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
And with me.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
He well, I'll introduce him in just to Tick, just
because I've already said who it is. But we'll talk
about what we're going to start the conversation with. And
you can give him a call if you've got questions
about anything else to do with your health and your
lifestyle and all that sort of thing. But alcohol has
been a problem in New Zealand for a while, and
we wonder sometimes you need a bit of a reality
check with things. There's a study in these states, there's
a gallup pole that found only this is a surprising one.
(01:09):
Whether people are telling the truth, of course, that's one thing.
But only fifty four percent of adults consume alcohol, the
lowest ever recorded since tracking began with this pole in
nineteen thirty nine. A study in New Zealand found out
that we're, oh, we're right on the booze seventy six
point three percent. So what's with the gap? Are we
going to do something about it? Should you worry about
(01:29):
how much alcohol you can consume. Well, I guess that's
a question of how much you're consuming, and if it
is a lot, then maybe you should worry about it
and think about it. But anyway, we're going to have
a chat about that and joining me. He is, he's
about to retire. What the hell I wonder why he
was looking so happy. He's got this sort of it's
almost festive shirt. It's just in two tones, but it's
very sort of nature oriented. Yes, we'll put that's one.
(01:52):
But he will never blend into the wallpaper. John Cameron today, John,
how are you going?
Speaker 3 (01:56):
We're going great? Next one?
Speaker 4 (01:57):
Yes, So I had a glass of wine with lunch
to wave to fess on that uh with my son.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
No, don't tell us, my son, don't tell us, keep
it to yourself.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Kubia River shadow mate, very nice?
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Was it small? I was the ones where they pour
it up to that line and you go, I was pouring.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Don't worry to me.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
It was a very small poor Okay, okay, so you
left at least a centimeter before the top. Okay, Well, hey,
it's worth stopping to think about alcohol because, of course,
in generations gone by, it was a ride of passage.
The yard glass and drinking and the six o'clock swell.
(02:33):
And I would say as an just as as an
adult and doing this job, I've probably only really been
made aware of how alcohol can have a very you
know how, the risks of drinking alcohol, whether it be
you know, half a glass or you know, five pints.
I've only really been aware of that in the last
(02:55):
three or four years, and more recently even just the
studies that say, look, any form of any alcohol is
not good for you.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
Yeah, okay, so there is no safe level of alcohol.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
That's the one.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
So alcohol is a class one carcinogen. In other words,
it's a cancer causing.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
What's class one, Class two? Class Class one means it
really does. What's class two then or class three?
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Don't worry about those, but everything we've got a New
Zealand's got a very interesting history of alcohol use from
the days back when, pre European days, alcohol was not
a part of New Muori society.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
It just didn't happen.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
And it was introduced by the first settlers who were
out here in the back of beyond, and alcohol became
a really big part of their lives and we carried
that through. You were far too young to remember the
six o'clock swill where pubs used to stop.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
At six o'clock.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Just historically, Yeah, everyone used to tie it. And what
do people do. They leave work and they hoe into
it as much in their system.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
They would run to the pub and get as much
as they possibly could in that hour between five and
six o'clock when they got thrown out. And we've carried
that binge process through into a lot of our behavior.
Alcohol's closely associated with sport. You don't go to a
sporting club without there being a bar, without people having
a drink after the game. Now is that going to
(04:14):
cause a lot of problems? The data would say yes,
the actual cost of the country from the damage from
alcohol is outstandingly high. But we're not Wowser's okay, So
where does alcohol fit within our society? It's a drug.
It is very easy to make that drug, so you
can't prohibit it. We tried that in the States and
look what hapened. So how do you manage it within
(04:37):
New Zealand society? And I think we need to change
how we look at alcohol. It's not that you need
to go out and get plasted. As teenagers and young
adults they don't have frontal lobes. They don't know about consequence.
So alcohol plays a big role in their lives and
hopefully we will survive it and come through the other end.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
Okay, that's great. So if we're looking at.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Alcohol, I mean, how do you approach it? For instance?
You know, it's like when you doctor, you just know
too much about everything in a way, don't you do
You sometimes think that see something and go, oh god,
this is another bit.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
Of bad news.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
I was once asked by just A Shanna Las when
I was appearing to the witness and a high court
in Auckland about what was what would I consider to
be an excess of alcohol intake?
Speaker 3 (05:19):
I reply, anyone who drinks more than me, ma'am.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
And I love the fact you do a high court trial.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
High court trial.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
Yeah, so that that what was the context of the trial.
I'm not going into it, but it was something like that.
So how do we equate alcohol use? We talk about
standard units of alcohol, all right, So a standard unit
is ten grams of alcohol. So a stubby bears about
one point three glass of wine should be somewhere around
about one one point two. We say that a low
(05:49):
risk alcohol intake for a female is less than ten
standard units a week and for a male lesson.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
So what's that? What do you describe that? What sort
of intake is that are safe or what not?
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Low risk?
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Low risk?
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Low risk? Which is what rap?
Speaker 2 (06:02):
So low risk for a female? I'm just down. I'll
take the time as well. It's always got a good
on the fridge. Well, I mean it's good. It's good
to actually remember the stuff as opposed to what was it?
Was it ten bottles? Was it ten units? And what
does that look like? You know? Okay, say again, so
women women.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Less than ten standard units?
Speaker 2 (06:21):
What does low risk mean?
Speaker 4 (06:23):
It means it's less likely to cause significant harm both
physically societally psychologically.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
So probably not a problem for you, but not guaranteed. No, Okay.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
I can remember working on another radio show and the
two young DJs on that were routinely doing forty to
fifty standard units of alcohol in a week, and they
thought that was normal, and so that what we consider
normal and abnormal very tremendously.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
I had a young woy, so.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
What is it for men women to ten drinks? And
the other thing I did pick up reading the gallup
of news, was it doesn't mean that you can have
ten drinks in one sitting as well, because the binge
drinking makes it much higher risklessness exactly.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
So he spread that out over a week.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
The harm it was highlighted me by young guy I
saw a couple of weeks ago and last week. This
young chap was in the justice system, is working within
the justice system, and he had a big problem with alcohol,
and it took him around about four years to work
out that he needed to stop drinking. His liver was shat,
(07:30):
it was basically a mess. His liver functions were way off.
He would sit inside his house and get the alcohol
delivered to him. He is now alcohol.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Free for two years.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
Wow, he's back into his job. He's got his kids
coming to him and.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Cause the change for him.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
I mean, it's a big, big psychological battles, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
Trying to find that key is incredibly difficult. You've got
to go and work with the individual to find what
their key is. Keep asking, keep suggesting, keep working with
them until the individual with the cold problem decides that
there's a big enough problem to do something about. And
then it is almost impossible to do on your own,
absolutely impossible to do.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
On your own.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
You need help to manage this addiction.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Yeah, okay, Actually, just a quick thing, where does the
standard drinks come from? Because I haven't seen a single
I haven't seen a single unit of alcohol sold like
a beer can or whatever that demons. I would have
thought that there'd be some commonly consumed amount of liquor
(08:37):
that would represent a standard drink. But every time you
get even just a cannaby or to say this is
one point one point three standard drinks. Where does the
standard drink size come from? Is it sort of like
a cup.
Speaker 4 (08:48):
It's a way of measuring ten grams of alcohol. It's
ten ten grams of alcohol is one standard drink. Okay,
So it's a way of enable people to qualify how
much alcohol is. Yes, I love a glass of wine
with a meal, says yourself, A little small wiki at nights.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
I do have. Yes, I do have a little whisky
at night. I've gone back to the Scotch.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
That's right, there's only one sort of whiskey.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Actually, I think we've had this conversation before I went
off the American whisky. I went on it then, but
I probably have five standard drinks a week. My whisky
would probably maybe six, it'd be three probably yeah, three small.
Speaker 4 (09:28):
So we always know that people underestimate there and they're
drinking by at least fifty percent.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
So we'll get you.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
Around about nine to ten years a week, which is
which is which is fine. Okay, it's a low risk
level of doing it. And I take it that you
haven't had a recent dice, you haven't had any family
violence you've had, you haven't lost job from doing this,
you haven't lost friends from doing this. So when it
impacts on life, either your physical body and rex you liver,
(09:55):
stomach ulcers, or brain injury. They're the only only organ
that alcoholics die well with is beautiful kidneys. Their kidneys
are pristal. Why I don't know. But every other organ
in their body, their nerves, their heart, their lungs, deliver,
their brain are all rubbish.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Isn't funny that?
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Yeah, kidney's just function. Keep me.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
We'd love your cause on this as well, because I
think one of the big one of the questions is
is there a point where you hear some public health
information and you actually decide to make a change in
your lifestyle, because I mean, otherwise, what's the point in
having news on this stuff. We must at some stage
it must hit home that you think, because for me,
it's the recent information about you know that even just
(10:37):
that you said it's a class one casinogen makes me think, Okay,
I might not be giving it up altogether, but I'm
going to seriously think about whether if I have a
drink that's it for the night, one beer and that's it,
and maybe I'll do that three nights a week. I
say it sound like a wowse is saying that.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
But it's something you have to be really careful in health,
because we were the big negatives.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
If you do this, you will die. You will die
more earlier.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
Than this, and it's not there. What we're trying to
say is to get the best chance of a really healthy,
fulfilling life. Here's some things that you can think about
and how they fit him with your life, and you
can make those choices and decide. Now we're not saying
do not drink. We're saying, okay, be aware of what
you're doing and those behaviors.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Yeah, So have you ever changed your drinking habits as
a result of not some personal tragedy in hitting the
wall and finding out that you had to make a
change otherwise that's it. But did you ever make a mummy?
You can tell us about your journey if you have changed.
But also have you ever listened to public health information
and gone, you know what, maybe I need to have
a look at what I'm doing. We'd love to hear
(11:37):
from you on eight hundred and eighty ten eighty. By
the way, John before we go to the calls arch Jelly,
And I've mentioned him a million times on air because
he's one hundred. I still laugh that they gave him
his lifetime award when he was on hundred and two.
I think, God, he must have really annoyed someone that
they waited till he was over one hundred to give
him the lifetime membership in his Enland athletics. But that guy,
I'm dying to know f and when he's consumed alcohol,
(12:00):
because he's one hundred and three and he doesn't look
a day over seventy three. He's phenomenal, isn't he. Do
you know anything about whether he would have a tipple
before even when whether we do know walks about three
or four kilometers a day and does the three sets
of thirty half squats or something. The guy's a machine,
keep sective, keep moving. There you go, because we're going
to talk about that about living longer if we get
(12:21):
the time. But we're going to we're talking booze. Okay,
you'll cause eight hundred and eighty ten eighty John Cameron GP.
By the way, he's still going to continue on my
show's retiring, but he's going to keep his registration so
he can come on and tell us what we're doing wrong,
what we're doing right, right right, that's the one that's
focused class half full, John, that's the one. Okay, John, Hello.
Speaker 5 (12:42):
Hello, how are you?
Speaker 3 (12:43):
We're good things and myn.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Lloyd, I didn't say a thing. Hello, what would you
like to talk about?
Speaker 6 (12:51):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (12:52):
Just alcohol?
Speaker 2 (12:54):
Yep?
Speaker 6 (12:56):
Yeah, No.
Speaker 5 (12:57):
I drink probably a bit three times a week. Yeah,
and I hear these things called eight point six percent,
and I have the eight of them.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
Is that persision?
Speaker 5 (13:14):
Do I have to tell you what they are?
Speaker 2 (13:17):
No? No, no, But do you drink that over three
sessions or do you drink three times?
Speaker 3 (13:22):
Eight?
Speaker 5 (13:23):
You know, drinks eight point six percent at one time?
And I have a bit eight of them each time,
about three times a week, and I feel really good.
I talk to people and everybody talks to me, and
I don't feel stupid or anything. You know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Do you do you do you worry about whether you're
drinking too much?
Speaker 7 (13:50):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (13:51):
No, I feels so good. I love it.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Okay, Okay, what can we say?
Speaker 4 (13:59):
John Well would say that that is a level of
alcohol which replace you you're healthy at risk basically, it's
all we can really say.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Now more sorry, carry on, John.
Speaker 5 (14:11):
Okay, So my health is at risk?
Speaker 6 (14:14):
Ye?
Speaker 5 (14:15):
What a bit the happy coin?
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Well, okay, what about the fact that it perhaps you relax.
Is there a benefit because because of that?
Speaker 4 (14:24):
Or it's actually a depressant drug? Okay, it's a drug
which slows brain activity.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Yeah, and it is.
Speaker 4 (14:32):
It does tend to make you more introspective, more inward looking.
Depression becomes more within people who are drinking alcohol, and
it doesn't solve the problems.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
So yeah, at three times eight, I know, we don't
know what we're doing eight percent, So whatever it is,
it's a couple hundred miles At eight percent, it's probably
sixteen meles times eight, which is that's that's ten standard
drinks twelve standardrinks in a session, isn't it?
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Yep?
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Okay? If somebody's really enjoying it. Does it mean there's
a level of addiction in there or not just likes it?
Speaker 4 (15:06):
No? No, No, there is a level of addiction there.
I only really know for an addiction is if there's
a difficulty in changing that behavior or the effect that
it has on things outside your immediate So that.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Would be something for John to ask himself, would be okay,
if you didn't do it next week, John, if you
gave up for a couple of weeks, could you handle it?
And if you couldn't, then that might indicate.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
A little bit careful of giving up.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Okay, Sorry, I won't say that. You offer that question,
you pose that conundrum form you.
Speaker 4 (15:31):
Yeah, you come down slowly. There's think called delirium tremors,
which is acute with drawl of alcohol. Okay, It's got
about a thirty percent death rate.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
Okay, So don't do what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
You don't want to stop drinking.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
And even at that level, that level, that would be.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Yeah, you want to be very careful about it.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Okay, so slowly, um, okay. So but if you are
consumed because you did pick up the phone, John, and
I think if here's the thing, if you picked up
the phone and you called us. Even though you say
you love what you're doing. What you're doing, I think
there's something in the back of your mind which is
curious to curious to answer that question for you, that
you might be looking to think about the Wait, what
you're doing? Where would he go first to? If John
(16:06):
or anyone listening thinks, you know what, I might just
have a chat with someone about this.
Speaker 4 (16:10):
There is a Community Alcohol Drug Service in every every
healthy area in New Zealand. It's freely available by phone.
There is eight hundred numbers. There are text call numbers
Elden phone book. But look under the Community Alcohol and
Drug Service it's called CADS.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
It's the twenty four sound And look, John, I know
I did jump to some conclusions there, but you did
call us, so you're obviously thinking about it. So if
you are concerned, then then do something about it. I
think talk to someone. Let's go tell you what. We'll
come back with more calls in just a moment. Helen's
next it is twenty three past four News Talks. There'd
be it's welcome back talking alcohol with John Cameron. And
(16:48):
have you changed your drinking habits lately? And you know,
did you do it because you've got warning signs? Or
you listen to the public health advice Helen, Hello, oh y.
Speaker 6 (16:55):
U hi Tim and doctor John. Now might sound like
a Prouvalis question, but it isn't actually because I think
about it a lot now with Mediterranean countries where they
drink with their meals and it's watered down. What happens
with fetal alcohol syndrome is much much bad. What's what's
(17:15):
the story?
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Will the Mediterranean diet? Yeah? Except no, no, no.
Speaker 4 (17:18):
What she's talking about is how in France you'll have
a glass of wine with every meal. It normally comes
in the big caraph and it gets fifty to fifty
with water. In all honesty, I do not know. Figure
alcohol syndrome is much more common than we would believe.
It's basically where alcohol is ingested during pregnancy and it
has an effect on the fetus as it develops, and
(17:39):
that's lifelong.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
We don't know what I know.
Speaker 4 (17:42):
We don't know what a safe level of alcohol and
pregnancy is. The only safe level we know is zero. Yes, yeah,
but I'm sorry, I can't tell you what the race is.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
Fig.
Speaker 6 (17:53):
It's something that actually intrigued me. I keep thinking about this,
so I'll ring up and ask you.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
I do know that I've looked at this over a
little bit in terms of alcoholism rates in different countries.
Of people tout France as like, oh, they could start
kids drinking and they introduced to at last one when
they're fourteen or fifteen. But actually the facts are for
France that it has a really high rate of alcohol consumption.
It's got some major problems with it. So that the
evidence that's come out, Helen is that the idea of
(18:22):
introducing your children to alcohol at an early age is
a really bad idea.
Speaker 4 (18:26):
And if you've got a population that has a high
level of alcohol, that certainly will be care happening during
early pregnancy. So I would assume that the rates of
fig cloutcol syndrome are high in that country.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
In those countries, France rates sixth sixth globally, and per
capita consumption about thirteen and a half liters of pure
alcohol per adult per year, which I think is quite high. Okay, right,
thanks for your call, Helen. David.
Speaker 8 (18:52):
Hello, Yeah, hi guys, how are you We're good?
Speaker 7 (18:57):
Good?
Speaker 5 (18:58):
Hi?
Speaker 8 (18:59):
Just interesting. I was just driving when I heard the
conversation and so I had I had a birthday for
coming up four years ago in October. I'm in my
mid sixties now, and a bit of a build up
to it, and you know, and then I decided to
have an alcohol free week after my birthday. And four
(19:21):
years on, I haven't haven't had a drop. I haven't
gone back to it. And it was prime and I
wasn't a big drinker. I just but I would have
a drink probably every night, and it was funny, it
was more of a habit. And so that habit in
the first week was the thing that sort of worried me.
And it was like, jeez, I kept thinking about it,
(19:42):
and so then I thought after a week, started to
get a little easier, and then I thought, well, I'm
just going to continue this. And then, as I said,
long story short, I have I haven't touched it. And
it's not because I've got a problem. I just haven't
missed it, you know. And I actually feel certainly better.
I think my clarity of thinking is better. Actually, I've
(20:05):
been through one of the most stressful couple of years
with various things, but I think I handled that stress
a hell of a lot better than I would have
done had I been turning to the bottle for for
some comfort. So it was, you know, it was just
surprisingly easy. And which do you feavorit of overseas travel?
And you know, the I like the idea of having
(20:29):
a drink in some of these exotic places like France
and Italy and on planes and stuff. But I just
but I haven't.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Did you substitute it with something?
Speaker 8 (20:38):
What?
Speaker 2 (20:38):
Did you like? Fruit juice or you know, cranberry juice
or something, or a lemonade or a.
Speaker 8 (20:44):
Good question, because initially it was that habit was kind
of like I needed to have a drink of an
evening when my partner was having a drink, and so
I would have either a zero alcohol beer or I
have a you know, can butcher or something, you know,
like something like that. But now now I don't. I
hardly ever have a zero alcohol year. It's just no
(21:06):
point really, and I've got just really quite happy with
mineral water or even just tap water, to be honest,
just so I got out of the habit of having
to substitute the alcoholic drink with another type of beverage.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
Did you have to valid validate your decision? Most your
peer group, in other words, was there pressure for you
to come off and keep drinking.
Speaker 8 (21:35):
No, definitely not pressure. There was some ribbing that took place,
and especially a bunch amongst my golf mate who because
obviously after around on a Saturday, the losers have to
buy a beer and then everybody's you know, enjoys that.
So initially it was kind of a bit of I
was the butt of a few jokes. But no, they don't.
(21:59):
They completely understand now it's never even a topic of conversation.
And no, and I guess I'm in a group of
friends and family members who completely understand it, and so
that's probably helped. And my partner still has a drink
most days, and I certainly don't have a I'm not
(22:21):
like a reform smoker or something where you you're.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
Not lecturally right. Your partner at it, What do you say?
What do you have when you go after a golf game,
you're also in the bar, what do you have?
Speaker 7 (22:30):
Coffee?
Speaker 3 (22:31):
Coffee? Fair enough?
Speaker 8 (22:32):
Because we play, we play first thing in the morning
and so by the time I'm ready for a ready
for a coffee sort of when we finished. So if
it was later in the day, I would I'd probably
just have them as it serves sparkling water or mineral
water or something like that.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
So yeah, I guess, yeah, that's sparkling water. It's so
funny enough. It's simple things like a sparkling water or something.
It's got just slightly different. It's first quenching. I actually
make make sure a point at home for me. If
I get home and I'm really thirsty, I'll have a
couple of glass of water, and then that'll tell me
if I still feel like I want to. For me,
(23:06):
it's the flavor. That's why I like whisky. I don't.
I actually don't like feeling the effects of alcohol. I
don't like it at all. So that's why it's so funny,
isn't because some people would drink for the effect, whereas
I like the taste of fermented spirits. I guess and
wine and a deep red wine or something and almost
makes one to have one.
Speaker 3 (23:24):
Now you're starting to celebrate.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
I'll stop it, go get me some handytails.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
Well, I made the choice and living the choice of
alcohol free. It's for some people. It doesn't have to
be for everyone.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
Yeah, good on you. By the way, if you do
want a beverage of a weekend, just tune into the
Weekend Collective on I'm here every day. You know, there
we go non alcoholic beverage. I had to throw that
one in there. It's not the first time the name
has been used as some sort of pun. Yes, right,
let's go to Stephen.
Speaker 7 (23:55):
Hello, Hi, how are you good?
Speaker 2 (23:58):
Thanks?
Speaker 7 (23:59):
Yeah, good good. I'm the eighteen months of the Old
Bears had a sort of an epiphany. Wolfshad New Year's
party adding months ago, got about three in the morning,
cheering away on the Albiga and I'm not really enjoying
this anymore and sort of said, oh, I'll have January off.
So I had January off. In the first of February,
(24:20):
I had one beer and said, nah, it's not spinning
my wheel. So I carried on. And yeah, I stopped
drinking spirits eighteen years ago because I've worked out very
slowly that you can't drink spirits the same as speed
you drink beer, because there wheel fall of quicker, and
I've sort of found you got to be black and
(24:42):
white instead of you know, some people your with the
likes of smoking, Oh, I'll only have a cigarette when
I drink. Well, you know, for most people that's you know,
just about every weekend. I've never smoked, but yeah, I
just find if you make a decision, you get on
with it.
Speaker 4 (24:59):
Yeah, positives, negatives of where your life is at the
moment from alcohol point of view.
Speaker 7 (25:04):
Oh, positives. You know, things are in the back of
my head. You know, my kids are reaching teenage years
and you don't want to be that guy that's no
good on a Sunday. You know, I want to be
able to keep up with them. I find that I'm
in control. You know. We went that took a few
other couples to the Rugby All Blacks and Hamilton the
(25:26):
other weekend, and hy drove around town. When we went
to the bars, I was more than happy, more than happy.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
Step.
Speaker 7 (25:34):
Yeah, every day is the same. You know, you wake
up early, and you get up and you do something.
Was you know the old beer? Yeah, because yeah, I
was never one or two. You know when I was
younger twenty it was twenty four.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Yeah, and yeah, yeah, well, well good good on you
for making that change. It's funny that he mentioned touched
on something about with kids and things, and I think
for some people when their children are getting a bit older.
The twelve thirteen, fourteen, you realize a few years time
they're going to be going to parties, is going to
be alcohol there. And I imagine there are quite a
(26:07):
few people who actually look at themselves and thinking, what
am I modeling? I certainly do think that. I mean,
my kids would hardly ever see me drink because usually
if I have something that's half they've gone to bed.
Not that I'm hiding it, of course, it's just that she.
Speaker 4 (26:19):
Put them to bed at four o'clock in the hour.
But yeah, how do you do that modeling for your kids?
And then when your teenagers, they will.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
Look at alcohol.
Speaker 4 (26:29):
It is part of the testing out of boundaries and
testing out of life. You're allowed to give your opinion
to your kids, and you're allowed to keep them supported
and safe. They will go out and do silly things.
That's what teenagers are designed to do.
Speaker 2 (26:42):
Actually, I do have a sense just through I mean
the school my girls go to, they've as part of
their you know, the studies they do. They've recently done
something my fourteen year old has done, had to do
an assignment about alcohol and drugs abuse and things like that.
And I read the stuff that she had written and
what she came up with herself, and I thought, and
(27:04):
she embraced it as well. And I do get the
sense that it's no longer the right of passage doesn't
exist as broadly in New Zealand society, that alcohol is
an important part of that, whereas when I grew up
it was. I mean I never did the yard last
tuning because I never, but we certainly still had the
twenty first and there was a lot of beer being drunken.
(27:26):
I think there was a toger being worn. But that's true.
I think we changing, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (27:34):
I think we are changing how we work with alcohol,
the role it plays in our lives and hopefully but
still family violence, road traffic accidents, acc claims. If you
looked at it as a drug, we're bringing this drug
into the country at the moment. There is no way
we'ld make it legal. No, no, absolutely no way. But
you can't make it illegal now because it's sumption and
hearing part of ourself.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
Well, because there are when you I mean, that's that's
a different that's a different sort of discussion, isn't it.
But but you know, there's a big difference between having
a half a glass of wine or a glass of
wine three times a week, and you know, snorting cocaine
or consuming meth. I guess because there's no moderation point,
is there. I guess much more difficulty. We'll be back
(28:17):
with more calls. We want to hear from you though
about have you changed drinking habits and what motivated it?
Because it's it's a fascinating discussion just here for the
callers already. But I think the other quirky thing is
sometimes sometimes people think, well, hang, I want to go out,
we go to mate's place. I don't want to hold
a glass of water in my hand. I want to
hold a glass and wore water. Something in my hand
that feels like I'm sort of in the festive spirit.
(28:39):
Doesn't need to be alcohol. What did you substitute it with?
Because I reckon there are a list of drinks that
are festive sort of drinks that are non alcoholic that
feel like you're still you know, I'm not explaining it
very well, John, you want to bring back Clayton's. Oh,
I'm old enough to know what Clayton's was. The drink
you have when you're not having a drink. I never
(29:01):
tasted the stuff, but I'm not sure I was convinced,
but well take your call though, I eight hundred eighty
ten eighty with quite a few texts to get on
top of as well. But Steve is next news talks,
there be twenty one minutes to five. Yes, news talks.
They'd be talking about alcohol and have you changed? Why
did you change? And by the way, somebody has just
said how many standard drinks from a male for low risk?
I missed it. It was fifteen less than fifteen fifteen
(29:22):
yeah over a week, yep, and not in one session. Yeah,
that's the one. By the way, the fun fact I
do like I'm going to share this with the audience
was the gallup pole around the States talks about who's
given up drinking and what propensity. Men down eight percent,
down five percent, women down eleven. It talks about people
of color down two, white people down eleven. They're drinking
(29:44):
different age groups. But I love this one. Republicans down
nineteen percent, Democrats down three percent, so the Democrats still
need to get on anyway. I love that a political
difference and how much a drink. That'd be interesting for
New Zealand. But anyway, let's carry on show with the course.
Steve him and.
Speaker 9 (30:03):
John Steve, if I could just give you a little
bit of my background, and as a question that I'd ask,
I started very young. My first memory of being drunk
was when I was eight years old, and throughout my
teenage years, the drunk a hell of a lot until
(30:24):
thirty when I went through my first rehab, and after
that I gave up for about a year, and over
the years I did another three rehabs until I was
probably in my mid forties. And the thing that changed
(30:45):
for me was that I moved away from the group
of people that I was associating with. Everyone that I
associated with drunk and drunk a lot, and when you're
in that society, you think it's a norm that you're
in a one percent of society, you know. The thing
that changed for me was moving away from that, and
(31:09):
I'd lost a lot through life, especially good friends. That
was the kicker for me, really. But one of the
questions I'd like to ask is that when I was
going to AA, one of the things that they used
to reiterate all the time is if you have one
more drink, you're going to be basically worse than you
(31:33):
were and it's going to kill you. And when you're
going sort of four or five times a week, and
you keep reiterating that. For me, I'd have periods off, okay,
and then I go back to my drinking. And what
was getting me was like what actually, I almost became
(31:55):
a suicidal at one stage.
Speaker 10 (31:56):
O came.
Speaker 9 (31:58):
But reiterating that that if you have another drink again,
you're going to you know, it's going to kill you.
I really don't think it's a good It's not a
good I think it's a great way. It's not a
good message because if you continue to reiterate that all
the time and you do go and drink, and I've
(32:20):
seen it with people that they just go, oh, well,
I'm drinking again, so I'm going to absolutely hammer it.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
Yeah I've had one, I must will go the whole hog.
Speaker 10 (32:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 9 (32:32):
Yeah, Well I changed my attitude and that because you know,
I was beating myself up so much. I thought I'm
going to stop beating myself up. I still drink, but
I cut nothing, nothing nowhere near what you know, like
I might have six a half a dozen beers a
(32:53):
week now, Okay, Well.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
That's a big change, Steve, that's a big change.
Speaker 4 (33:00):
So yeah, whatever you're dealing with an addiction. You very
very really, I don't think I've ever seen it have
one attempt at stopping it normally does take three, four, five, six, ten, fifteen,
twenty twenty attempts at going. And so I think the
message that if you have one more drink, you're going
to die. I don't know how a how a A
(33:24):
puts that message out. It's probably I would see it
as a line that if you are not drinking at
the moment, if you have one drink, you're going to
bring back all of the potential downsides that you had
when you were drinking. So if you're going to reinstitute
that behavior and with all the risks associated with it,
I think the message that you'd have one more drink
you're going to die that fear tech fear does not
(33:44):
actually lead to change and behavior.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
Is it better to just recognize, look, if you do
have a drink, you are potentially opening the door again
or even that's not helpful, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (33:54):
And support, and a lot of the things like AA
does is you have that support person that if you
have a drink, you've got someone there to fall back
on who will support you back into where you need
to be. So acknowledging that you will have slip ups,
you will have times where you can't manage what you're
doing with human beings. That's the way human beings go
and human brains work. But the end game is to
(34:14):
get to where you need to be.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
Yeah, thanks for your call, Steve, and best of you.
By the way, if you are and Steve mentioned them,
you know how we thought about self harm and things
like that at one stage in his life. If you
are someone who's struggling with them whatever issues, whether it
be alcohol or anything, and you are feeling that way,
please please text or call one seven three seven. It's
(34:39):
a fantastic initiative that the government's got where you will
even if you text, someone will call you and be
in touch. But if you are feeling that life's getting
on top of you and it's too much, please just
text or call one seven three seven.
Speaker 3 (34:53):
Okay, yep, absolutely.
Speaker 4 (34:55):
And the other one is the Alcohol Drug Helpline, which
is eight hundred seven eight seven seven nine seven oh
eight hundred seven eight seven seven nine seven.
Speaker 2 (35:04):
Right, we'll come back with some more in just a moment.
It's twelve minutes to five news talks. He'd be with
doctor John Cameron. We're talking about alcohol based on the
gallup pile, which showed that in America people are drinking less.
We're still drinking a lot more in New Zealand. But
anyway you old to have it changes what motivated it,
and we'll see if we can squeeze in a couple more.
Cause only a very limited on time callers, so please
let's keep it concise if we can.
Speaker 11 (35:25):
Phil, Hello, oh good eight, how are you good? Excellent? Excellent.
I'm trying to change my drinking habits now. It cost
me my job. And one of the things that's one
of the things that I'm trying to change it for
is I've always enjoyed the drink and liked that, but
(35:47):
I've always known that the answer isn't in the bottom
of a bottle if you've got problems. But I don't
want to get to the stage where I can't ever
have a drink for the reason I'm fifty eight for
the rest of my life now wherever long that's going
to be. Because I'm an alcoholic, so me or I
think I may be an alcoholic. So for me, that's
(36:08):
the one of the big reason why I want to
change my drinking habits, and I'm knocking it back to
like nothing. I'm doing well if I have six a night,
but my liver comes right as well. It comes from abnormal.
It's John doctor John window, and then it comes right.
So I'm wondering what sort of damage I'll be doing
if my liver's shown the results is normal. What sort
of damage would I'll be doing to my brains and
(36:29):
other things? That say six a night or.
Speaker 3 (36:32):
Even less six what's a night? Sorry?
Speaker 11 (36:34):
But six beers a night, six beers a night, and
a can and a six dubbies like six three milk.
Speaker 4 (36:41):
Okay, So you run about eight standard units to night.
So that will still be having an effect on your body.
Speaker 7 (36:47):
You'll live.
Speaker 4 (36:48):
Your live is the most amazing organ or regenerate itself
tremendously if you stop hitting it on the head. But
there will still be damage going on. And what we
worry about with the liver is not the damage to
the liver cells, which we can see in the liver enzymes.
It's a damage to the physical structure, the fibers dissue
structure that the liver cells sit in, and that can
get damage. You end up with cirrhosis of deliver and
that really is irretrievable. It will also be doing damagus
(37:11):
to your stomach, to your brain, especially into your heart.
Alcoholic cardiomopathy is one of the leading causes of heart
failure in this country, probably secondary to a schemic heart
disease or blocking off for the arteries. So alcohol is
a direct tox and to heart, muscle.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
Liver, brain.
Speaker 4 (37:29):
Are you seeking any help in changing your habits?
Speaker 11 (37:36):
Not really in terms of AA and things like that.
I have been through a few AA meetings the past,
but I have mental health problems as well, and I
do speak with a psychologist regularly. But yeah, not in
terms of AA. I'm just trying to knock it back
on myself because of that fear, basically because of the
fear that I get to the stage where I say, right,
(37:56):
you know, I've got to admit to myself because like
you said, you've got to find the key, which was
one of the things you said about when you identify
a problem, then look at the keys. Because I just
excuse me, you know the fact that I've got to
say I can never have a drink again. So that's
why I want to knock it back so I can
show that I am in control of it.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
You know, good to have support with those decisions as well,
and don't take it on on your own, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (38:19):
It's normally the last question I asked someone when they
leave the room and says, can you see a life
ahead of you with our alcohol? And if there's a
hesitation the answer is no, I know we've got a
potential big problem, right, so but God seek help And
it's not the end of the story for you, brother.
Speaker 2 (38:33):
By the way, I mean on we were talking about
France before, just briefly, but seven percent of the deaths
in those aged over fifteen in France are attributable to alcohol.
So yeah, there's some stats on a country that you know,
supposedly people drink start drinking at quite an early age.
Speaker 3 (38:52):
Bring statistics.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
We've had about one and a half minutes nell if
you if you can be concise, we can squeeze you in.
Speaker 10 (38:58):
Yeah, you go, hello, how are you good?
Speaker 2 (39:02):
Things?
Speaker 10 (39:04):
You know, schooling and just yeah, I've been alcohol free
for the last three years. And when I think about it,
it's basically I started drinking when I was I think fifteen,
and then from then on just been drinking ever since
the last well three years ago and what stopped you. Well,
(39:28):
like you said before, I had a like an epiphany,
like it was a Christmas Day and three years ago
and I was at my in laws and we were
having a few years and then well whatever reason, I
just said, you know what, this is going to be
my last one, and then from then on, I just
yea to stop from there and then. But at the
same time, when I do look at look back into
(39:49):
it into the life that I drinking often was the
weekend because I wanted to. I think I used excuses
to drink, meaning like used to be family functions and
my family used to go out and stuff like that.
I to go out, but at the same time my
wife was kind of like, no, you don't need to,
and then I'll get so frustrated and angry.
Speaker 2 (40:11):
Well heyll unfortunately we can't explore that any further. But
I'm just well done for making that decision and whatever
it took, because it's not that I wouldn't have loved
to if we've got on to you a few minutes earlier,
but we are got about thirty seconds to go before
we wrap it up, So thank you so much for you.
Cal I've got about twenty seconds now, John.
Speaker 4 (40:29):
But hopefully some people are looking listening into what we've
said today and thinking about how alcohol, what role alcol
plays in their lives. That's all I can ask. Think
about it, be aware of it. Yeah, talk it over
with your loved ones, see how it turns out.
Speaker 2 (40:40):
Excellent, Thanks John, look forward to next time. I retired
in two weeks, but he'll be back.
Speaker 3 (40:44):
I'll be back anyway.
Speaker 2 (40:45):
We'll be back with smart money Neck.
Speaker 1 (40:47):
For more from the Weekend Collective, listen live to news
Talks it'd be weekends from three pm, or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio
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