An archive of recent news articles on the topic of alcohol and drugs.
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Biking to smash P
2nd March 2011
Cycling the length of New Zealand is a fairly minor undertaking for a group of 40 holiday makers. The keen cyclists from Lithuania, Poland, Canada, Scotland, Ireland and New Zealand are pedalling almost 3500km from Cape Reinga to Bluff down the rugged west coast before finishing in Christchurch on April 7. And on the way they are raising awareness for the Stellar Trust which was set up by the Rotary Club of Auckland East to combat the use of pure methamphetamine. Their 46-day itinerary saw them ride 130km from Te Hana, through Helensville to Remuera on Sunday. They stayed at the Remuera Motor Lodge and had a rest day on Monday to take in the sights of Auckland.
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Alcohol linked to cancer in war against binge drinking
2nd March 2011
With three sober months behind us – FebFast, Dry July and Ocsober – we’re entering the really wet season. These are the party months of November to January that kick off with another annual event – the handwringing over teenage binge drinking that coincides with schoolies celebrations.
Given that drinking too much is a normal part of our culture, it’s no surprise that by the age of 18 about 50 per cent of teenagers drink at risky levels. But there are special risks for teens because alcohol affects them differently. Give the average adult male a few drinks and easy access to a couch and he’ll doze off, but adolescents are less sensitive to alcohol’s sedative effects and can stay awake and drink for longer, according to the Australian Drug Foundation.
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Treat alcohol like adult movies, MPs urged
1st March 2011
Displaying alcohol in supermarkets should be treated in the same way as dirty movies are displayed in a video store, the Alcohol Reform Bill select committee was told yesterday. Alcohol Action said the proposals adapted by the Government from a Law Commission report into alcohol reform did not go far enough. Alcohol should not be easily accessible and should not be displayed at the front of stores or with other products such as fruit and vegetables, the group said yesterday. "Supermarkets are treating alcohol like it's a commodity rather than a drug," spokeswoman Professor Jennie Connor said.
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Kiwi drinks 750 stubbies a year
1st March 2011
Kiwis drank the equivalent of about 750 stubbies of beer each in 2005 but still sank less than their counterparts across the ditch, an international report says. The World Health Organisation Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health shows New Zealanders drank an average 9.6 litres of pure alcohol each, well above the 6.1-litre global average. The most popular tipple was beer, followed by wine and spirits. National Addiction Centre director Doug Sellman said the "extraordinary" figure equalled 750 stubbies of 4 per cent beer, about 100 bottles of 12.5 per cent wine or 24 bottles of 40 per cent spirits.
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Council pushes for lower alcohol levels
24th February 2011
Auckland Council wants lowering of alcohol levels for drivers and raising excise tax on liquor included in the Alcohol Reform Bill. Councillor George Wood, who is community safety forum chairman, said these matters were left out of the bill despite being recommended by the Law Commission's July 2009 review of liquor laws. "The council endorses the clear findings of the commission report Alcohol in our Lives: Curbing the Harm. We are saying we want those matters in the reform bill. "They've been been widely discussed and they are controversial."
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Honduras seeks to stop smoking - even at home
24th February 2011
TEGUCIGALPA - Lighting up a cigarette at home could bring a visit from Honduran police if a family member or even a visitor complains about secondhand smoke.
A new law that took effect Monday banning smoking in most public and private spaces doesn't actually outlaw cigarettes inside homes, but it does have a provision allowing people to file complaints about secondhand smoke in homes.
Violations would bring a verbal warning on the first offense. After that could come arrest and a $311 fine - the equivalent of the monthly minimum wage in this Central American country.
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Rise in high alcohol content drinks in NZ
23rd February 2011
A new report has found a big increase in the amount of high alcohol content drinks on sale to New Zealanders. The latest Statistics New Zealand report into Alcohol Available for Consumption found the total amount of alcoholic drinks on sale in New Zealand rose by 0.6 per cent in the year to December 2010. But the amount of pure alcohol available from those drinks rose 5.5 per cent to 33 million litres in 2010.
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Judge's plea on booze culture
23rd February 2011
Former Governor-General Dame Silvia Cartwright has made a plea to the Government to be bolder on alcohol reform, including raising taxes, the legal purchase age and reducing industry advertising. Public submissions on the Government's Alcohol Reform Bill closed yesterday and the justice and electoral select committee released hundreds of written submissions. The Bill is the Government's plan to reduce harm from alcohol and has provisions to, among other things, have a split purchase age of 18 in bars and 20 in supermarkets and liquor outlets, empower local communities to have greater control over local liquor outlets, and make it an offence to supply a minor with alcohol without parental consent.
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Ecstasy does not damage brain, robust study says
22nd February 2011
There is no evidence that the drug Ecstasy causes brain damage, according to one of the largest studies into its effects. Too many previous studies made over-arching conclusions from insufficient data, say the scientists responsible for the research, and the dangers have been exaggerated. Campaigners have claimed Ecstasy poses a real risk of triggering brain damage, can induce memory loss, decrease cognitive performance and has long-lasting effects on behaviour.
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Youth drinking cheap spirits a 'real problem'
22nd February 2011
It is not surprising that the amount of potent spirits is on the rise, with young people the likely consumers, an Otago University professor says. Information published by Statistics New Zealand yesterday shows the total amount of alcohol available for consumption rose almost three million litres last year, largely driven by a jump in spirits stronger than 23 per cent alcohol. Though only a 0.6 per cent increase in alcoholic beverages, the volume of pure alcohol available for consumption rose 5.5 per cent because of the increase in strong liquor.
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