Alcohol

I am sure you are wondering about the title and why would this have anything to do with the topic of FutureFocusVet.  What has inspired this post is the Nigel Latta series currently running on Tuesday evenings on TV1.  Episode 3 inspired this blog.  You can watch episode 3 here.  And I would highly recommend it.  

Why am I blogging on it?

1. Students (as a group of society) are well known for over indulging in the drink.  But so are many professionals, so within any industry that you, our students, will be entering into - you may be exposed to it in the workplace too.  
2. Alcohol is a Class A drug - just like Tobacco but also other harder drugs 
3. Alcohol is a carcinogen, and no level is considered safe in terms of risk.  Every small bit increases risk.  
4. Cognitive function and productivity is affected by Alcohol.
5. New Zealand has a binge drinking culture.
6. So many families are affected by violence and other abuse fueled by alcohol.
7. The companies that produce alcohol are largely overseas corporates - yep, all those quintessentially NZ brands are owned by companies like Mitsubishi and Heinekin, so the profits go off shore.  
8. Advertising and sponsorship is still allowed by alcohol companies (unlike tobacco) including of sports teams.  Marketing is insidious and often targets underage drinkers, which gets them hooked.  
9. The costs of alcohol in NZ annually in terms of illness, car accidents and so on is thought to be approximately $5 billion - that is over $13 million per day.  Yes it is true that they put money into education - but compared to the costs to society, the investment in education is limited.

So as you can see above these are the drivers of change.  Continuing as we are is not sustainable.  The social and financial costs are too high.  There are also potential environmental costs too when we look at large tracks of land being put into a monoculture of grapes for example, not to mention the energy costs of making and recycling glass bottles and cans.  

image source

What does it look like when alcohol is sustainable?

We all know the truth -  Our money is going overseas when we buy most brands ijn New Zealand. Worse yet, alcohol causes cancer, and can even be linked to cancer at low levels of drinking. It kills off brain cells, and it wrecks families and friendships. So, what does it look like if we are sustainable consumers of alcohol?

1. Advertising for all alcohol is limited or even banned
2. Individuals choose to drink socially and responsibly - it becomes a stigma to binge drink and over indulge.  THis also reduces the waste stream produced.
3. Children are educated from a young age about the risks (as early as year 7 or 8) as parents cant be relied on to do this.
4. People buy locally produced alcohol to support our local economy and reduce energy use from transport overseas. 

If you drink, drink responsibly and understand the industry and consequences.  Definitely take some time out to watch the Nigel Latta series and consider getting your pre-teen children (and older) to watch it with you.  It will form a great opening for a conversation .  

Please feel free to post your comments, ideas and feedback.  We love to hear from you.