Drink driving laws 'political cop-out' - UK Drug expert

10 Aug 2010 08:40p.m.

Dave wrote:

It is the likes of this misguided, self-serving Briton and his mentalism that is sending his homeland down the toilet, send him back to whence he came before he does the same to ours.

09 Aug 2010 06:43p.m.

Ashlee wrote:

Trying to lower the alcohol limit to zero percent is unfair as it doesn't teach young people to be responsible at all, all it dose is open up a new revenue maker for the government and put our young people in more debut. I am 18 years old, i have had my full licence for a year and a half and i have never been DIC'ed and i don't choose to drink and drive as i spent way to much money on my car and insurance each week to ever put it in jeopardy. If i were to go out and have one responsible drink then drive home and get pulled over I would loose my licence for 6 months have a huge fine my car would be impounded and I could loose my job as I would have no transport to work. This take's away any responsibility or good choice making opportunities that i have, and will still not stop idiots getting absolutely smashed and then drive home as they are doing now anyway. I don't know the answer to this issue but i know that this is not the right one i still wont feel safe on the road if this law gets passed and comes into effect, all i know is that more people will end up with less in their back pocket. It was said on the new's tonight that the welfare system is imprisoning people, We'll now responsible people will soon be imprisoned and restricted by the driving system, and they could loose a lot more than you think as no explanation is ever good enough and anything you say must be said to a judge?

05 Aug 2010 04:04p.m.

bridget wrote:

Stop Drinking/Driving altogether !!Alcohol levels affect people differently according to size, food consumption, ethinicity,gender and all the other viarables. You wanna be serious !! then STOP it altogether - HELLO - Is anyone listening to the hospital emergency dept Dr's telling us we have an Alcohol problem in this country with unneccessary injuries affecting intoxicated people clogging emergency depts. Is anyone listening to frontline police attending alcohol related road deaths/injury.Does anyone know we have a genuine alcohol problem/culture in this country. Is anyone hearing what the ambulance officers are saying? What about the experts saying we have an alcohol problem - H E L L O - Is anyone listening ?

05 Aug 2010 10:14a.m.

Jan.. wrote:

John Lowerhutt, you are right, what different loweing legal limit make? but to open the drinking and cambling holes at the reasonable hours say, bar open 12 pm to 2pm for lunch and re-open at 6pm to 11pm on bussiness hours and weekend can be from 11pm to 2pm and 6pm to midnight..Casino can operate from 2pm to 4am weekend and bussiness hours from 2pm to midnight.. Tourist is kept entirely to bussiness Companies to follow the rules and regulation..

04 Aug 2010 12:17p.m.

John Lower Hutt wrote:

The people causing the accidents are a million times over the legal limit anyway. What difference will lowering legal limit make?

A recent finding indicated that other drugs such as cannabis were found to be a significant factor in traffic accidents. So what's being done about the other drugs? Will we all be tested for those at check points?

04 Aug 2010 10:05a.m.

Alex wrote:

But why shouldn't we be allowed to buy our beer or wine from supermarkets? Why should we be forced not stay out as late as we like anymore? Why shouldn't be able to enjoy those delightful Tui ads? The problem is none of the above ... but it is the culture that gives us the impression that drinking copious amounts of alcohol is okay. That's why we need to forget about these silly laws that penalise the majority of responsible drinkings and hit the other people who are causing all the fuss.

04 Aug 2010 07:00a.m.

maria wrote:

change needs to occur from the top, at govt level, so we need to ask ourselves why noting has been done? I think it is because of the amount of taxes that alcohol generates. If NZ is serious about what is happening then mass campaining needs to be put into place, stop the sale of alcohol in supermarkets, stop the increase of small liquor outlets opening up in our communities, increase the age for the sale of alcohol and increase the penalities for alcohol related accidents. Attitudes towards smoking in the past 10 years have changed dramatically for the good of our people... come on NZ lets do the same with alcohol!!!

04 Aug 2010 03:05a.m.

David wrote:

Point of accuracy, Professor Nutt WAS relieved of his UK Government post, but not just for his views on alcohol, he was sacked for his views on illegal drug controls, he was campaigning aginst UK drug laws, a position incompatible with his then position as head of the UK Advisory Council on Drug Misuse.

Since being sacked he has spoken more plainly in favour of drug legalisation. Professor Nutt may though, have another personal agenda.

He has spoken and written in the Journal of Psychopharmacology (Editor D Nutt) of trying to produce a drug based replacement for alcohol and has or had recently, very substantial personal investments in at least one large pharmaceutical company who might benefit from his invention.

He has had close financial ties with many other pharmaceutical companies. Professor Nutt has admitted to his own illegal drug taking. He is closely allied with others in the drug legalisation lobby groups.

03 Aug 2010 08:59p.m.

katrina wrote:

I would say that stopping the availability of alcohol in the supermarket would be the one that would help me drink less as it is quite easy to add a few bottles of wine to the food shopping, I would not drink as much if I had to make a separate trip to the wholesalers.

03 Aug 2010 08:18p.m.

Jan.. wrote:

Lower the alcohol limit can only get worse, Alcohol business should open in a reasonable hours say' lunch from 12pm to 2pm and re-open at 6pm to 11pm, Casino Bussiness hours should open from 2pm to midnight during business hours and weekend to open at 2pm and closed at 4am, tourist business should be kept entirely for the tourist to follow rules and regulations of that Company..
Alcohol and Tobbaco plus Marijuana are drugs, but what kill the most?..