Drink Tank

Archive - April 2012

A view from the street

I was a paramedic with St John Ambulance WA for seven years. During this time I was confronted on a regular basis with the reality of an insidious epidemic that affects our population and causes much damage and mayhem...

Two-up, two-down

‘Changing the way we drink’ is a big mission for a small not-for-profit like FARE. When the nation’s drinking culture is entwined with national holidays, it’s even more challenging.  This week, one of our most important...

Alcohol: everyone else’s problem?

This year’s FARE poll results emphasise that alcohol retains a curious cultural place in our hearts as mostly socially acceptable – but when it becomes harmful, it’s someone elses’ issue to deal with. What stands out...

Gauging grog’s guidelines

According to a 2010 Roy Morgan report, people who consume more than three drinks a day account for more than half of all alcohol sales. That fact sometimes makes me pause when I’m at a liquor store. Looking across the...

Alcohol Poll-Itics

I’m guessing you’ve read the Poll.  Yes, that one.  Australia’s Annual Alcohol Poll. It landed on my desk this morning. Australia has spoken, or so they tell us…except Australia hasn’t spoken, as much as whispered...

The appalling wild women of the west

Prohibition orders preventing people with criminal convictions from entering licensed premises were introduced in Western Australia in 2009, and recent figures show that women are more and more involved in alcohol and...