Government interference never works!

Generally we don't pay much attention to the rantings of politicans.  Frankly we would rather stick sharp objects in our eyes, ultimately it does less damage to your well being.  Recently we received an email from one of our favourite punters.  Rachael's email contained what was (allegedly) an anti-drinking poster from the early 1900s.  If we understand the poster correctly it appears the 'ladies' in it are saying if you want to have quality adult time with them you had better not drink alcohol. 

This poster got us thinking about the ongoing (some would say never ending - Ed) debate about binge drinking.  Why the drinking habits of the young, which lets face it aren't all that different from those in the past, should be of endless interest to under worked and over paid politicians is beyond us here at Winepunters.  Governments have an extremely poor record when it comes to 'creating positive change' by interfering in the everyday behaviour of their long suffering citizens.  Particularly when it comes to attempting to stop us doing what most of us enjoy the most - having a drink of our favourite alcohol.  The fact that throughout history people have looked for ways to get wasted is lost on our latest federal health minister as it is on all of our pollies.   

You only have to look at the poster to know that this campaign, if it ever existed, was doomed to failure.  We don't want to be rude but not being able to kiss those 'ladies' is not going to stop us from drinking.  As one of our friends said "mate, you would need to drink before giving any of them a kiss!" He was then heard to mutter something about bush pig but we couldn't be sure.  A few years after this poster pollies gave Americans that brilliant policy of prohibition which did nothing to stop drinking but did everything to promote organised crime.  The same could easily be said for the efforts by governments in Australia to control drug use.

Now for the record we believe that, while everyone should be drinking more Tassie wine, binge drinking is wrong. We know this from personal experience.  Binge drinking almost always results in some sort of disaster whether it be financial, physical or emotional.  Everyone here in the Winepunters engine room has a disturbing or downright disgusting story to tell about what they did when they were drunk.  The worst by far being someone, who shall remain nameless, throwing up on their friend's dog after a session on Tequila.  You don't need a pollie to tell you binge drinking is bad, you only have to do it once.

So people know binge drinking is stupid and yet pollies still seem to take the nagging and finger waving approach to talking about this issue.  We don't necessarily mind being told how 'naughty' we are and that we should be 'spanked' but it has to be by someone like Nigella Lawson not a 'concerned politician'.  Do they really believe that people respond to this approach?  Think back to when you were young and remember how you responded to lectures from anyone let alone a pollie.  Behavioural change comes from experience and understanding, not nagging.

Darren Brown from Puddleduck Vineyard told us an interesting story when we spoke to him recently.  He was talking about his daughter who was involved in wine tasting from a young age and now, at 19, doesn't binge because she only enjoys expensive wine.  No alcho pops or cheap spirits for that quality lady.  We believe that this is the secret to dealing with binge drinking.  Get the kiddies on great tasting Tassie wine very early on and develop their palates so that they can't afford to drink too much when they get to that age when binge drinking is a problem.

Nuff said, problem solved, take a bow.  Now to fix the other problems of the world. 

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