Why is it wrong to advise gp’s? They’re scientists after all not ‘Devine Healers’ as is the public perception. At the end if the day they’re drug dealers for Big Pharma and they wouldn’t prescribe exercise because there’s no profit in exercise. People should take their health into their own hands and stop relying on a pill for every ill.

General practioner

General practitioner

GPs do listen and do invite patients to take exercise. Unfortunately many who go to the GP don’t want to hear advice on lifestyle issues like smoking drinking alcohol exercise. Many just want a prescription or a cert. They complain when asked to pay for the advice feeling that somehow if they don’t get a prescription they have somehow been ripped off. The green prescription is not a new idea although it is good that it is highlighted again. Lifestyle changes reap the best health rewards. What a great suggestion for a moderate alcohol week

A nice mineral would be grand. With Finlandia.

You’re just a troll Charlie boy, get a life

Ah yes gingerman the art of persuasion evinced through puerile name calling. You seek to convince us of the persuasiveness of your argument and your erudition by calling the Irish nation ‘savages’ and everyone that disagrees with your jejune analysis, “dumb asses”. Forgetting that when calling people ‘savages’ one is looking in the mirror and calling it to themselves, spouse, parents & children.

Come back and do some convincing/trolling when yer all growed (sic) up.

Which reports show that raising the legal age for drinking reduces binge drinking?

But even in the majority of the US, where the drinking age is 21, most teenagers are drinking by 16/17. It’s as much a rite of passage over there as it is over here. The teen movies aren’t entirely wrong.

That’s cause they are wearing tight jeans… See last news post

Which report Simian suggests that a ”national sobriety” week reduces binge drinking too? I merely said (and i find infuriating to repeat it because you couldnt be bothered to read it properly) that the fact it has not been suggested at all is ridiculous…but yet we have ideas of national sobriety week, ban advertising of alcohol in sport, ban cheap drink in supermarkets, and drink education in schools, but not one mention of raising the legal age..

The week of sobriety and moderation is a consciousness raising exercise used to highlight the problem and try to get people to start addressing it.

No one has mentioned raising the legal age because it’s a pretty poor idea. It would stop nothing. 15 year olds can get booze now, how would raising the age change that?

How about prohibition? That was a great success by all accounts.

Its a better idea than what has been suggested, also in regards to 15yr olds getting drink, that’s because they are only 3yrs away from legal age. So its likely they could be friends with or at least know an 18yr old to buy it for them. By raising it to 21, it will be harder for a young teen to get their hands on it, as your average self respecting adult isn’t going to risk giving someone alcohol who is now 6 years under legal age. So in theory the only massive widespread under age drinking that will be happening is 18/19 yr olds, which we can deal with to some extent. Id love to know how you think this is a poor idea compared to some magical themed ”sobriety week” which lets be honest the overpowering majority will not respect or even know is happening ?

It’s not really a better idea Keith, it’s actually pointless, arbitrary rubbish.

Your idea is so poorly thought out I’m trying to work out if you’re trolling me or not. Having looked at your twitter feed, I think you might actually be genuine. Frankly that’s pretty depressing.

Maybe you could do some research before criticising someone else’s attempt to better Irish society, although, having heard the radio show you’re involved in, I doubt it’s one of your strengths.

First of all congrats on managing to avoid giving any reasons why you think this sobriety thing would work better, and going straight for personal insults, if you have to resort to that to get your point across its obviously pointless debating this with you. Maybe you could elaborate where my ”research” as you put it, falls down? Or maybe why my opinion suddenly counts as research when you learn of my job? You seem like a smart guy after all you have books in the back ground of profile pic, so you must be!

Stick to the topic in future or go back to drawing on your hand instead maybe, I’m assuming it enhances masturbation or something!

You’re right Keith, I am a smart guy, that’s why I think ideas through before telling people about them. Maybe you could try it some time.

The flaws of your idea can be exposed pretty quickly. Applying your logic there can’t be 12 and 13 year olds getting drunk in Ireland today, this clearly isn’t the case.
You also suggest that raising the age makes it ok for 18 year olds, who would be breaking the law, to drink. So you’re just suggesting another limit that won’t be enforced. How is that going to help anything? Why 21, why not 23, why not 25?
Raising people’s awareness of the problem is a start, it takes the view that people can be responsible for their actions and that over time, positive changes can be made. If we simply keep trying to discipline and punish in an ineffective way, people will just act like criminals (that’s a Foucault reference by the way).

How about (1) Restricting the amount of off licenses etc who can sell alcohol. Take it out of supermarkets together. (2) Raise the price or at least implement a minimum price that isn’t a token gesture (3) Ban alcohol advertising.

Sure, it might take a few year to make a difference, but there’s no quick fix.

So how is it rubbish care to explain! I would say by your comment you are the typical guy that would purchase drink for minors without a second thought!

“National Sobriety Day” wouldn’t be good for the Irish stereotype :)

Except the Guinness ads they are deadly

Nectar of the gods

Let’s ban savages from Italy!

Hi Gingerman.
I can’t believe the amount of thumbs down at your suggestion to ban adds.
It shows how twisted and unreasonable many attitudes are.

Ditto for smoking in pubs…

Yes, let’s blame the young people for the excessive drinking.

I wonder where they got the idea?

An excessive drinking culture did not just come from the youth of today. The OECD published reports in the 1960s reporting ironically the highest levels of both teetotalism and alcoholism in Ireland, which were labelled ‘the Irish paradox’, it would appear an extreme attitude to alcohol has always been prevalent. To say it is a modern problem is churlish at best.

rubbish!

This is correct. I had terminal bowel cancer and then I just upped my intake of green veg and cut out carbs and 3 weeks later I’m in remission. Yay food!

Nope. Or should I have started the word with a ‘D’ as in drink. Ah jez no, dat wud be savage crack!