Another Price Rise.

I know that what I'm about to write may earn some criticism. I understand I work in an industry which cops it often from many sides for many different reasons, but I believe when I say that alcohol has it's place in our society, and that when consumed responsibly can be positive and enjoyable.

It's February and there is another price rise on alcohol. ?The AHA gets mad, puts out an article about how they are outraged on how it hits the punter in the hip pocket and that the publican and restaurateur is going broke as consumers stay home and drink. Craft brewing, wine making and spirit maker advocates occasionally may write an article telling of the woes of how this makes the industry unsustainable, and this is the reason for its failings.

Well, they the AHA and the manufacturer advocates are right, or at least have a point. We are one of the highest taxed alcohol in the world. I know the arguments from the various groups and I agree that alcohol abuse is one of the leading causes of domestic violence, that alcohol abuse costs the taxpayer millions of dollars in healthcare, that alcohol still contributes to too much of the road toll every year and causes many social issues. Yet increasing the price twice a year to a point that it is becoming unattainable doesn’t seem to be stopping or solving any of these issues. We are not looking at the root cause of these problems, it just seems we are trying to “out price them”. So, in the meantime all we are doing is killing the hospitality industry, killing the brewing, wine and spirit industries which is also in many cases a local tourist industry, which then also effects local towns and communities effecting employment and the ongoing effects.

?Increasing the price beyond the reach of the average consumer is certainly stopping a younger generation from consuming alcohol which on the surface isn’t a bad thing, but many are turning to cheaper forms of escape, like home-made booze (sometimes unstable, poorly made methanol laced spirits) but more often drugs. ?The latter is prevalent in our communities which in turn is leading to increased crime, violence and other antisocial behavior.

I look at other countries (Japan and Vietnam to name two off the top of my head but also many European nations) who don’t have the issues around alcohol that we do. Price isn’t a factor, its culture.

Another thing that we are losing that gets forgotten in these discussions is our community. Pubs, clubs, sporting hubs, the places where we used to gather, young and old. We used to socailise and grow up in these places. Now as the prices make it a privilege to go to the pub, or a special occasion to “go out” at all. We are losing these communities. Who is watching over our younger generation? Who is watching over our older generation? ?It’s not about the alcohol, it’s about gathering. I really believe we should be moderating our behaviors around drinking, having a choice of lower strength and non alc beers, wines and spirits. Encouraging publicans to range zero alc taps alongside full strength and mid taps, as we are starting to see in the UK. Let’s get people back into venues, rather than drive them away and tell them “No, drinking is bad!” How about we teach people to drink in moderation, or that we can still be social and abstain if we want to. Teach the value of being a decent citizen who can be social without having to rely on alcohol all the time.

?We teach Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) for every person who serves alcohol. We need to ensure that RSA isn’t tokenism, that it is valued by venues, and that penalties are harsh for those who do not value or abide by them, but also that there is support and education and re-education there as well. This is how we help change a culture.

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?We have seen the shift towards lower strength alcohol, and now non-alc is growing rapidly, so why not encourage this trend? Not by out pricing alcohol and excluding drinkers, but by developing an inclusive culture, therefore “normalizing” behaviors by having non-acholic drinks alongside alcoholic beverages in venues all at reasonable prices. This would encourage trial and support moderation, whilst fostering a more social environment, increasing value and boosting spend within the hospitality industry. A win for the economy.

I know we are seeing more non alc in venues now, but my point is to see alc prices freeze. We need to encourage people to get back into venues, to socialize, to dine out, to have a dinner party, BBQ with friends. Visit a winery, a brewery, a distillery, because I know this isn’t happening like it used to.

When you tell someone, they can’t do something, or you make it so hard for them that they can’t do something, they will find a way or find an alternative, and often that alternative will not be a positive one.

?Having a community gives us the opportunity to have conversations. Having communities gives us opportunities to care for others within them. ?Without these opportunities, I fear the spiral of isolation, drugs, violence we are on will continue. ?

Let’s allow people to have a choice. Let’s give them the right products in the right places along with the right education and support to make good choices.

Stop the unfair taxes on alcohol. Let’s address the root causes to the issues of violence and other social issues that are related to alcohol abuse. I believe there is a lot of value in being social and educating change in how we socialise. I believe in building and rebuilding our communities, and yes alcohol can be part of this. Being responsible on how we go about it is also part of this. Changing a culture takes time, but it can be done.