Personal Notes 

A personal note - No-one NEEDS to drink alcohol

I am very seldom in favour of Government interference in the business world as I have very little faith in their ability to pass sensible laws (the latest "Monumental Governmental Stupidity" being the no kissing law). However there is one area that I believe should be controlled and that is the adverts for alcohol and the alcohol products on offer.

I am really concerned at the lack of morals and ethics displayed by the alcohol companies with their advertising and products targeted at the youth. The adverts all show that to have a good time you have got to drink alcohol. They show that it is sophisticated to drink alcohol. If you are stressed, drink alcohol. When you celebrate, drink alcohol. the message that they send is clear, alcohol sorts out everything. (What it actually does, is it SHORTS out your marriage, your finances, your health and ultimately your life.)

There is a bigger and bigger problem with the abuse of alcohol throughout the world and many lives have been ruined and cut short by the indiscriminate and irresponsible use of alcohol.

No-one NEEDS to drink alcohol.

Now what can you do, well I think that we could petition the advertising standards board for a clamp down and clean up of this industry. We can write to the manufacturers and complain, but I am not sure what good that would do or how long it would take to get results so I am not going to recommend these options. There is something more important that you can do and that is to be a good example to your children and your friends.

The lessons should start at home (tragically they often do) You are the lesson that your children learn from, so evaluate your own use of alcohol. What message are you sending them. Evaluate your own behaviour after your use of alcohol, is it something to be proud of. Evaluate your behaviour towards others who do not drink alcohol.

Let me tell you a personal story.

I started work when I was just 17 (young and innocent) The strongest thing I drank was Fanta. Anyway I joined Internal Affairs, a Government department in Rhodesia, and was posted at a small Station called n'Kai way out in the bush. Now one things that Rhodesians could do was drink beer and here I am dropped in the midst of hardened beer drinkers and I order Fanta.

Looking back the thing that I find most amazing was the effort that the others, all older and senior to me, made to encourage (force) me to drink beer. Well eventually, in order to "fit in" I gave in and started to drink and it wasn't long before I was drinking for the first team (more about that later).

My point is this. Instead of encouraging me to stay away from alcohol these people, that I looked up to, did everything that they could to get me to drink it. There was no need of adverts to entice me, there were enough irresponsible "adults" to mislead me.

I noticed the same behaviour (and still do today) some 22 years ago when I stopped drinking alcohol. There was almost a shocked reaction to the fact that I could go to a party and not even have 1 alcoholic drink, yet I had just as good a time as everyone else the major difference was that I was in control of my good time and did not have a "hangover" the next day.

This is your life and you can live it your way. I will not condemn you if you drink alcohol but I do condemn the practice of encouraging others to do the same. what I ask however is that you evaluate the long term results of your behaviour. Is that what you really want for your future?

To live your best life be true to the YOU, that you want to be.

Live up to the reputation that you want to have.