Teenagers and Alcohol - Stats
Latest Statistics.......(Australian Parliament House HANSARD 4th June, 2009)
- 64% of boys and 69% of girls aged 14-17 years are regularly consuming the drug ethanol.
- 1 in 3 Australians consume this drug at a level which risks short-term harm such as violence, injury and accidents.
- 1 in 10 Australians consume this drug at a level which risks long tem harm e.g. addiction, brain damage, liver and heart damage.
The Drug Ethanol and Children.....
Keith Urban began playing in pubs and clubs when he was 12.....
Qstn: what is any child doing being even allowed into a pub or club where an 18+ drug is on offer?
Unfortunately, it happens all the time these days with kids and teenagers being given music venues to play at that just 'happen' to be drug dealers. Plus children are constantly around alcohol either in pubs and clubs with parents, or at home or at BBQ's, picnics etc..It doesn't end there, either, as the majority of under-18 'Hot House' style parties are held in these drug dealing establishments and children have to walk past advertisements and other examples of ethanol drug taking.
Even though they are unable to consume the drug on offer in the Club to adults, the association of fun and pubs/clubs is imprinted, as well as the bigotry of 'drug takers wearing badges' going into drug dealers, ignoring the fact that children are there and blatant drug pushing is all over the streets (signs, slogans etc.) and instead only targeting the competition or the occasional hard-core ethanol drug abuser who they class as 'excessive drinker' or 'reveller'. Not a mentality we should be teaching children.
Adults and Underage ethanol consumption.
Some parents believe that hosting a drinking party for teens keeps them safe and "off the streets." A tragedy following one such house party helped to build community support for stronger laws. "A few years ago, some teens were drinking at a party hosted by parents," recalls Stevens. "The parents thought that they were being responsible because they took the kids' car keys. But then they went to bed, leaving the keys on the kitchen counter. The young people later drove to a store for cigarettes and got in an accident. One teen was killed, and the driver ended up in jail for several years."(USA)
Large family celebrations also allow youth access to alcohol. "The adults aren't worried about kids 'drinking' because they are having a good time and it seems safe to them," says Stevens. "But they don't think about what can happen when the young people inevitably leave the party and either drive or go elsewhere unsupervised."
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Alcohol 'use' (consumption - not always beneficial) by young people is extremely dangerous - both to themselves and society at large. Underage alcohol use is associated with traffic fatalities, violence, unsafe sex, suicide, educational failure, and other problem behaviors that diminish the prospects of future success, as well as health risks – and the earlier teens start drinking, the greater the danger.
Despite these serious concerns, the media continues to make drinking (which is really ethanol drug consumption) look attractive to youth, and it remains possible and even easy for teenagers to get access to alcohol. http://www.iom.edu/CMS/12552/13838/15100.aspx
Every year kids and teens see close to 20,000 commercials. Of these, approximately 2,000 are for alcoholic beverages.(Note: A Class A 18+ drug should not be pushed in an M15+ theatre movie....yet it is. It's usually followed up by a 'say no to illicits only' negative ad. That's followed up by a highly attractive meth ad....for the tri-methyl-xanthine drug lord/ cartel Coca Cola. "Say no to drugs, kids?" Yeah, right. Not when "Jack Lives Here".
Add to these other forms of advertising (magazine ads, billboards, Web sites and brand-related clothing and products), signage at sporting events, sponsorship of sports and TV & radio programs....... and most young people will have seen approximately 100,000 alcohol ads by the time they turn 18.
Yet this drug (and it is a drug, a recreational, psychoactive, toxic drug at that) is made to look so good, funny, acceptable, social and attractive on anything advertising it, that is it any wonder that our children grow up believing that 1) it is their rite of passage into maturity 2) it's "all good" and 3) you can't have fun without it.
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- The bright, comic book colours attract children's attention.
- The easy to remember logos and jingles attract children's attention and are imprinted in their memories.
- The icons and mascots attract children's attentions and makes them remember how much fun they were and the association with a particular brand of ethanol drug.
Tooheys New - The Tallmen Ad.
Association - Family, friends, neighbours, every day life, fun, friendship,partying. Then you have a 'tallman' in the chimney (reminiscent of Santa?) holding a glass of beer and...of course the slogan 'For the Love of Beer', which in reality is simply stating, "For the Love of Drugs and Drug Lords".
A lovable Polar Bear that all children know as Bundy.....and, of course, they watch the ads and see just how much fun, how lovable, how cute, how friendly he is, and no doubt notice his association with an ethanol drug form called Rum.
What do you notice about this picture? 1) It's advertising a kids' day out.
2) The Kid's day out is at a racing club where there will be gambling, &
3) Under 'The Heart of the Community' please note that one of the major sponsors (if not the major one) is the Manufacturer of an 18+ drug.
Now it can be guaranteed that when the children are at the racing club they will be surrounded by VB advertisements and logos, as well as the adults consuming VB and other 18+ ethanol drugs.
They're damn right that it's 'More than Racing', it's blatant drug and drug cartel pushing and advocation to all ages, equally. Now, when Nine's Booze Network, (one of the biggest TV Network drug pushers we've ever seen - Nine's Wide World of Drugs states that loud and clear), our local sporting club and our ethanol drug advocate (this time they actually left out the Coffs Harbour Council symbol, which usually stands side by side with drug lords and sport) allow drugs and drug lords/cartels to infiltrate and control/ 'sponsor' mediums that are a major part of our society, then one doesn't have to wonder about the simple fact that drugs (buzzword 'legals' only, of course) and drug lords are at the heart of the community, and for that matter....
....74% of domestic violence; 45% of reported child abuse, 84% of street and drug dealer assaults, 'glassings', vehicle accidents, pedestrian accidents (we wield the word 'accident' loosely....it's usually always caused by abuse) and we mustn't forget about hundreds of thousands that are hospitalised per year, 6000 dead per year, 60 medical conditions attributed to it, and $15.6 billion worth of 'all good' death, damage, destruction and side effects that drug lords and those in power seem proud to give all this to the next generati
on destined for legal intoxication only ("say no to illicits only") as their inheritance.
The Australian Salvation Army has a new slogan, "By opening the door to us, you're opening the door to others". This slogan can easily be applied to drug lords and the mediums that open their doors for them...... because by opening the door to drug pushing in the name of Sport, Charity, Celebrity, Music, Media, Fashion, Politics, Schools, Family sponsored events (and the list goes on....) then, as the Salvation Army states loud and clear, "You're opening the door to others".
But "don't worry, it's not a psychoactive drug...it's only a drink, just like kid's juice, cordial, milk etc. So, come on board and help the legal Drug Lord Accord by opening the door for them to target children as well as adults in every attractive, colourful and blatantly deceptive way imaginable. Your Police do, your Politicians do, Your Media does, your Charities do, your Teachers do, your Celebrities do (Ethanologies, anyone?), your 'say yes/ say no to drugs campaigners do...so why don't you? Hell, we've even got inflatable 'Gumby', a Polar Bear, Santa Claus and others, (even in the name of the ANZACS and Australia Day), pushing drugs".
Of course, this is not the only Kid's Day Out that is sponsored by some form of drug. There are also the ones that are sponsored by Coca Cola, which contains the drug caffeine/tri-methyl-xanthine.....also not good for children.
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These VB In Training beanies are being worn around town by children...not surprising, as they are made to fit small heads!
As you can see, the young boy above is 'In Training' for when he's older and can do it 'legally'. In the same respect, the difference between a 'schoolie' and a 'toolie' is their age, not their drug abuse, and 'schoolies are toolies in training'.
August 26th 2009, Coffs Coast Advocate Newspaper.
The Life Education/Healthy Harold programme received $4,794 to allow Coffs Harbour primary school students to attend life education classes on personal safety and health. "Life education is very grateful for the support of the local clubs in approving our application for the CDSE grants," said Maggie Barnewall, Community Development Officer, Northern NSW.
The six participating clubs are Coffs Ex-Services Club, Coffs Harbour Catholic Club, Sawtell RSL Club, Park Beach Bowling Club, Woolgoolga Bowling and Woolgoolga RSL Club. A committee supported by the Coffs Harbour City Council administers the CDSE scheme on behalf of Clubs NSW“.
So let us get this straight, the main sponsors of Life Education, which puts out a statement of Dress Down Drug Free and has our Mayor wearing board shorts dancing with a giraffe under the 'Say No to Drugs" message, is sponsored by recreation, psychoactive, ethanol drug dealing and consumption establishments?
- Coffs Harbour is now an ethanol drug abuse central;
- why Coffs Harbour has drug signs and drug cartel logos covering it and sponsoring its main sport festivals, (ie VB Gold coffs harbour Cup, VB group 2 Rugby League etc.);
- why so-called anti-drug groups do not call for the drug ethanol to be labelled a drug in every drug dealer, (including Woolworths and Coles);
- why there is no listing of the 60 medical conditions or the many vicious and negative social conditions (ie street assault, dom. viol. child abuse etc).
- and why when it comes to groups like Life Education, CDAT, PCYC etc. stay silent or ask for permission to speak out against ethanol and abusive drug dealing practices,
- and instead, (to coin WWE Wrestler and Actor The Rock/ Dwayne Johnson)..choose to "Shut their mouth and know their role", while taking drug money and telling everyone around to 'say no to drugs' yet call ethanol a DRINK.
Newspapers are the same, charities are the same, sporting groups are the same, celebrities who come up here to our town to push the drug ethanol (ie Gordon Tallis, Laurie Daly and Scott Cam etc) are the same - they are blinkered to the fact that they are helping push a drug that is not only 18+, but its users, abusers and addicts are also responsible for high negative social costs.
Politicians and police and councillors and mayors are all the same.
- who all take drug money;
- who all didn't care when a giant Carlton Draught drug and sport football was stuck in the middle of the CH Mall for all ages to see,
- and all don't seem to care about the blatant and hard core drug pushing on children in some of the most attractive, pleasing to the eye and slogan filled ways imaginable...yet still telling people to say No to certain drugs, certain selective drug cultures and that drugs are bad, drink instead.
The picture in our local paper (see above) is of our Mayor, our Federal Minister, our local minister, the media and parents standing around turning the first sod of a new development with children standing around, and the little boy in the middle with his plastic shovel stuck into the other side of the sod.
NOTE: This child is wearing (over the top of another hat, undoubtedly a more fitting hat for a child) a hat sporting the VB colours and logo. The Mayor and the Federal Minister are looking at the child and they don't care that he is wearing an R18+ drug cartel logo on his head.
Hey, kids. Don't just say 'yes' to selective drugs, but instead call them drinks and be a walking drug cartel billboard, so you can target all the other little kiddies standing around you! - in the exact same way as adults, including parents, are now walking drug cartel billboards and a large percentage of adults have a favourite drug cartel brand that they wear with pride.
Coffs Harbour Mayor, Cr Keith Rhodes praised the clubs' community commitment.
Mayor Rhodes said, "It's always good to see a sector of the community get together and offer help for organisations or charities that provide important services in the area…
The clubs deserve to be congratulated and thanked for the generosity they show through their participation in the CDSE scheme each year," he said.
Oh yes, not a problem....'Congratulations and celebrations' on........
How to excuse drug pushing on children and adults alike?
- Sponsor the very programmes that tell them to 'say no to drugs',
- then lie to people, call your recreational, psychoactive drug a drink,
- sweep under the carpet domestic violence, child abuse, street and pub/club assaults and the flood of other abusive garbage that costs Australia 6,000 lives a year, 74000 hospitalisations, and other social costs that add up to $16 BILLION per year (and it's still rising) while Politicians, Media, Police, Councillors, Mayors and Parents take drug money and turn a blind eye to the abusive ethanol drug pushing practices.
If that child was wearing a big 'H' for Heroin, a big'C' for Cocaine, or a Cannabis Leaf etc. all the parents, the Mayor, the Councillors, the Politicians, the Police and the Media would be up in arms.
The word 'legal' doesn't make it any safer to push drugs on children - it just means'we can', and thanks to those in Power shutting their mouth and knowing their role, it means, 'We can in every 'all age' medium imaginable in whatever way they can get away with. At the moment, this is practically everything - and all our Minister (Nicola Roxon) cares about is more ethanol drug taxes and more cigarette taxes? Drug money comes from many forms. However, licit or illicit, toxic or non-toxic, drugs are still drugs and drug money is still drug money.
And, also please remember......people who take other drugs (as yes, alcohol is a drug....TOO!) also contribute to charities, are committed to their community projects, and are just as concerned for our community as ethanol drug users are! The only difference is that they can't splash their advertisements across all and sundry, and they certainly wouldn't get any congratulations, thanks and praise if it was known that they were 'illicit' drug users. Their donations come from the heart, not from expecting something (e.g. free advertising) in return.
Above: Alcohol ads on kid's 'heros' - perfect height for kids to see. Then, there are the fences all around the field, goal posts, ball, field, hats, jackets,and so on at the games and Sport programmes.
Question is not, "Well, where do the kids see advertising for this R18+ recreational, psychoactive drug?" It should be, "Where don't they?" And yes, they do remember the logos, the slogans, the jingles, the mascots etc. and know that they are associated with Dadd's (and often Mummy's) 'drink' (which is really a drug.
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Younger brains 'tricked' by alcohol
Catharine Munro April 29, 2009
Teenagers who drink heavily can associate bad experiences such as vomiting and car accidents with pleasure, according to a US expert on alcohol abuse.
Aaron White, a health administrator with the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, said neurological processes, that were originally designed to ensure human survival, were put off course by alcohol.
Dr White, a psychologist, was speaking yesterday at a conference organised by Drinkwise, a research group funded by the Australian Government and the liquor industry.
(Note: A Research group sponsored and funded by the Australian Government and the ethanol drug dealing manufacturing, trafficking, pushing etc. Industry have not got the guts to state what the group should be called - Ethanol Drug Wise - because, "oh shit! There's a recreational, psychoactive, neurotoxic drug in my drink!"...but don't worry kids and over 18 'kids', we'll continue to call it a 'drink' and state 'Say no to drugs". Maybe it's time that Researchers and Governments stopped getting sponsored by Drug Lords and accepting drug money, for it gives them an obvious bias).
Dr White said a review of research at the University of California, San Diego, had found heavy alcohol use among adolescents led to a decrease in the size of the frontal lobes, the part of the brain associated with planning, inhibition and emotion regulation.
In Australia, bad behaviour was also becoming part of the scenery for adolescents, Griffith University criminology lecturer Gillian McIlwain, told the conference. She is halfway through a nationwide study aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm.
"It's OK for people to be seen vomiting, it's OK to be seen fighting. In fact they are becoming desensitised to it."
(Hence the slogan, "It's all good, mate" which is now wielded even if life is not going the way you want it to. It's replaced the "She'll be right, mate" attitude. It basically means, "Who cares, it'll all work out in the end". Unfortunately, 6000 dead per year meet their end without it working out for them, thanks to their drug abuse that they got told was only drink abuse, and not even abuse...just 'excessive').
"Last night I got drunk and vomited my guts up and my brother got into a fight and got taken to the Police Station....but..... it's all good".
"Daddy's got his drink and I've got my drink".
No!...Daddy's got a drug and the child has a drink.
"How did I get here?"
The list is endless and has been covered extensively on this website.
Alcohol abuse and addiction is not just a trap...it's a baited trap. Alcohol on it's own, in a plain bottle might not be such a temptation to the youth, but bait it with sweetness, colour, slogans, logos, mascots and other baits - such as associating it with people they love, friendship, parties, family events, TV, movies, celebrities, fashion, music, Sport, billboards, etc. and it's easy to see just why they get trapped by it.
