It's big business after all. Everybody drinks and then some consume alcohol the way they would food so why not have places everywhere that they can top up their supply? It'd be a tragedy to the extreme of "A Pub with No Beer" if there wasn't a bottle shop within every one kilometre for people to buy grog at!
What They Don't Show on TV…
Yet it's been calculated that harmful use of alcohol results in the death of 2.5 million people annually worldwide, causes illness and injury to millions more, and increasingly affects younger generations in developing countries. They don't show that information on those alcohol commercials that have young, vibrant attractive people clinking bottles together.
Nor do they show the reality of alcoholism. The ranting, drunk bum roaming the streets spurting Tourette's-like lunacies at passers-by doesn't get on the ads. Nor do they show the unemployed who is so dependent on alcohol he drinks alone to pass away the days. And the definitely don't show the young girl seeped in regret who wakes up the next morning next to some guy who was just using her because she was too drunk to know any better.
Unfortunately it seems to me that the government doesn't want people to know that side of it. Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and then all affiliated bottle shops are making a killing. A chart from the Global Health Risks puts alcohol at number three on a list of worldwide health concerns but where is the stop to these expanding bottle shops and misleading alcohol commercials? Where are the regulations?
Say "No" and Seek Help
Nobody does anything because nobody really cares. You'd be under the assumption that big business owns the government. Australia is drinking itself to death and everybody shrugs and says "let's get on with it then". So let's go for it. Proverbs tells us drinking leads to poverty and generally making a fool of yourself, that it's addictive and a mocker.
Australia's unemployment is rising, society has shut Christianity out and many have nothing else to live for but that temporary high from drinking. They have to give the people something to base their baseless lives on and alcohol is as good of a base as any. Like any addictions though, you can get help if this one is plaguing you. You don't have to binge drink because it's cool and everybody else does. Everybody else is stupid. Get a spine and say no and if it's more serious of a problem seek help.
People want to help – people in churches, people in the community – the hardest part is just asking for it. And speaking of the church we need to have other options of places that people can have a good time without getting wasted. The church has let the public down and we've become a culture of people drinking ourselves to our deaths.
Bridget Brenton has been researching apologetics, philosophy and the paranormal for years you can check her out on www.101arguments.com.
Bridget Brenton's previous articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/bridget-brenton.html