Comments on: Helping societies drink responsibly http://lancewiggs.com/2008/11/16/helping-societies-drink-responsibly/ NZ Internet, Media and Business Fri, 30 Jul 2010 22:32:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Rasika De Soysa http://lancewiggs.com/2008/11/16/helping-societies-drink-responsibly/#comment-11725 Rasika De Soysa Thu, 15 Jan 2009 09:14:07 +0000 http://elevatorfactoids.wordpress.com/?p=1191#comment-11725 I woul like to join with you I woul like to join with you

]]> By: Dan http://lancewiggs.com/2008/11/16/helping-societies-drink-responsibly/#comment-11495 Dan Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:18:17 +0000 http://elevatorfactoids.wordpress.com/?p=1191#comment-11495 I totally agree. As an ex-Aucklander now living in Switzerland, the vast difference in the attitudes to alcohol has really impressed me. The Swiss (and as you say, the rest of Europe) don't have the alcohol-related hang-ups that Kiwis do. Now I could hop on a train at lunchtime drinking a 500ml can of beer here in Zürich and no-one would bat an eyelid. It's normal. If I did that in Auckland, normal reasonable people would assume that there was something wrong with me (has he fallen off the wagon?), and if spotted by a cop, I'd probably be arrested (if I was in one of the many alcohol-free public areas that are popping up around Auckland). And of course you're not allowed any food or drink on public transport in Auckland. Sure, you get the odd bunch of rowdy drunk teenagers, but as you say, they grow out of it. I think NZ society has some other related social issues as well. For example, I notice here in Switzerland that it is entirely appropriate for women of all ages/shapes/sizes to wear a bikini when swimming in a public place. That's just what you wear. And yet the number of sexually-related/motived crimes in Switzerland is significantly lower than in NZ, where girls go swimming in public wearing long boardshorts and t-shirts. Why is that? I totally agree.
As an ex-Aucklander now living in Switzerland, the vast difference in the attitudes to alcohol has really impressed me. The Swiss (and as you say, the rest of Europe) don’t have the alcohol-related hang-ups that Kiwis do.

Now I could hop on a train at lunchtime drinking a 500ml can of beer here in Zürich and no-one would bat an eyelid. It’s normal.
If I did that in Auckland, normal reasonable people would assume that there was something wrong with me (has he fallen off the wagon?), and if spotted by a cop, I’d probably be arrested (if I was in one of the many alcohol-free public areas that are popping up around Auckland). And of course you’re not allowed any food or drink on public transport in Auckland.

Sure, you get the odd bunch of rowdy drunk teenagers, but as you say, they grow out of it.

I think NZ society has some other related social issues as well. For example, I notice here in Switzerland that it is entirely appropriate for women of all ages/shapes/sizes to wear a bikini when swimming in a public place. That’s just what you wear. And yet the number of sexually-related/motived crimes in Switzerland is significantly lower than in NZ, where girls go swimming in public wearing long boardshorts and t-shirts.

Why is that?

]]>