Someone's hit the moral panic alarm again! Forget the Mayan calendar doomsday, if you believe these latest boffins the end of the world is already nigh. This time the rotation of panic has gone back to alcohol – just in time to ruin your festive season!
People drink too much, alcohol causes violence, yada yada. Please tell us something new. This is not news, it's not a study, it's something everybody already knows, and has known for centuries. This time they've tried to angle the tired old story on what they're calling a new culture in drinking - Pre Loading. One of the classic hallmarks of a moral panic – bring up something that has been going on forever, and claim it as something new to scare the gullible masses.
Pre loading a NEW culture?? In what world? Also known as Pre Gaming, Pre Drinks, PDs, Travellers or even Prinks, it's been around for years. Ever since an 18 year old with no cash got the night started at his mate's place with a bottle of Highland Queen for $20 rather than pay $9 a shot, pre gaming has been a staple of a night out.
Getting drunk or generally intoxicated before a party or social event regardless if there will be alcohol or other substances available at said event.
Dooder 1: Hay bro why you drinkin that nasty ass Icehouse?
Dooder 2: Just pregaming brah
So why has this study come out now? And why is the target Pre Gaming? Maybe the Professor who authored the study is just pissed because too many of his students are showing up to his classes trashed...
Drinking prior to an event, usually a party, but often a college course or lecture
In order to avoid the boredom of Prof Nemitz’s lecture again, we pregamed FME
Reading on in the article, it's evident that Pre Loading has nothing do to with anything. This study is just another run of the mill 'alcohol is bad' and 'let us control every aspect of your life while taxing you for it' moral panic inducing exposé by the permanently outraged. These types of studies achieve nothing and help no one. Their recycled recommendations are so uninspired that its doubtful that even the authors believe them:
Increasing the price of alcohol sold in liquor stores by introducing a levy on packaged drinks would curb the problem
Put up the price of alcohol – please, that's been done before to no avail. Overpriced pre-mixed drink anyone? Australia already pays more for drinks than anywhere else.
The study also recommended restricting trading hours across all venues
Great idea. Maybe they should get some consultants in from the 1920s to see how they dealt with the 6 o'clock swill?
It seems the whole agenda of these Professors and their studies is to get their name in the news and further what I can only assume is their goal of a Totalitarian Nanny State. What's next? Why don't they recommend banning alcohol altogether? And while they're at it, ban coffee, sugar, Maccas, driving to work, watching TV and anything else they don't agree with. Would that make them happy? Because no one else would be!
''We spent a lot of time trying to think of other ways to deal with pre-drinking and simply couldn't,'' Associate Professor Miller said.
You and your meddling study bores aren't invited to my pre game party either, Professor.
As always, it's up to the readers' comments to add some common sense...
In order to avoid the boredom of Prof Nemitz’s lecture again, we pregamed FME
Reading on in the article, it's evident that Pre Loading has nothing do to with anything. This study is just another run of the mill 'alcohol is bad' and 'let us control every aspect of your life while taxing you for it' moral panic inducing exposé by the permanently outraged. These types of studies achieve nothing and help no one. Their recycled recommendations are so uninspired that its doubtful that even the authors believe them:
Increasing the price of alcohol sold in liquor stores by introducing a levy on packaged drinks would curb the problem
Put up the price of alcohol – please, that's been done before to no avail. Overpriced pre-mixed drink anyone? Australia already pays more for drinks than anywhere else.
The study also recommended restricting trading hours across all venues
Great idea. Maybe they should get some consultants in from the 1920s to see how they dealt with the 6 o'clock swill?
It seems the whole agenda of these Professors and their studies is to get their name in the news and further what I can only assume is their goal of a Totalitarian Nanny State. What's next? Why don't they recommend banning alcohol altogether? And while they're at it, ban coffee, sugar, Maccas, driving to work, watching TV and anything else they don't agree with. Would that make them happy? Because no one else would be!
''We spent a lot of time trying to think of other ways to deal with pre-drinking and simply couldn't,'' Associate Professor Miller said.
You and your meddling study bores aren't invited to my pre game party either, Professor.
As always, it's up to the readers' comments to add some common sense...
