DEVILS ELIXIR

Aka: Grog...Piss...Booze.

On a radio show today, the host was conducting a segment on the proposed outlawing of alcohol advertising in sports.
There was much hand-wringing of course, though any sanctimony was thankfully absent, replaced instead with a stoic professionalism - fabricated of course.
Nevertheless, the predominant leaning was towards the shaking of the head, the "what can we do?" syndrome.
Present on the show were the two men; the presenter and an industry product representative.
Playing the sycophantic advocate first, the presenter started with the veiled accusation that alcohol management had indeed reached an out of control stage and that its promotion through every sporting event was simply an exacerbation.
The rep responded as if reading from an industry guide on preselected cliched responses.

"Inappropriate behaviour..."
"wont be tolerated..."
"we support responsible comsumption..."

et al, et al...

He goes on...

We supply the small regional clubs with revenue, in turn keeping people in work, supporting the youth, developing them to the top rung of the sport. If alcohol advertising in sport is banned, the "bush" will suffer. (This a veiled threat of his own).

So on they parried; "Isn't it the case that...?", "No, we are committed to..." a choreography in formal appropriateness. And earning the station a substantial revenue.
Meanwhile those who embrace the "buy one get one free" sales pitch continue to purchase gallons of piss, proceed to tip it down their addled throats and drunkenly stumble through life acting like league players.

Everybody gets their cut, condemns it, again, and lets it slip from public interest until the next time, which historically, is never far away.

The thing is, (that the various protagonists are fond of sweeping under the carpet) alcohol is a moneyspinner for all.
It is a mutli-trillion dollar business - in global terms, not just here in Oz. From those who manufacture it, including those who gather/grow the ingredients to those who sell it at the counter, and at each stage in between, everyone takes their percentage.
Including the radio station and its talent, who duplicitously camouflage this with the facade of "giving the public a voice".
The fact is, each and every presenter of mainstream radio follow an agenda set by their employers, themselves driven predominately by political preference.
So in fact, a given presenter can rarely if ever be trusted to give their honest opinion - unless said opinion concurs with that of his/her employer.
The whole thing is driven by the need to earn revenue and the God's honest truth rarely, if ever enters into it.

And this...is why alcohol abuse will, much like climate change has become, be one endless talkfest with the odd tax grab thrown in to help swallow the bitter pill.