Should Alcohol be treated like cigs, plain wrapped and pictures of it's health effects on the container?


Greens outraged at NZ's Thai booze intervention

The Green Party is outraged that New Zealand is putting pressure on Thailand over its bid to put warning labels on alcohol.

The World Trade Organisation said the European Union, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Mexico and the United States had raised concerns about Thailand's intentions to put health advisory messages on alcohol bottles.

The opponents argued the labelling requirements created unnecessary obstacles to trade and could be misleading.

But, Green MP Sue Kedgley said the Government should not interfere in Thailand's efforts to curb the harm caused by alcohol. Especially when a number of submissions on the Alcohol Reform Bill supported New Zealand introducing similar labelling.

"In the interests of free trade our Government is intent on sabotaging a positive initiative that will assist in the health and well-being of people in Thailand."

It was an example of the pursuit of free trade at all costs, Kedgley said.

"New Zealanders should be concerned that our trade representatives are trying to interfere in the sovereign rights of another nation."


http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/4924447/Greens-outraged-at-NZs-Thai-booze-intervention

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____ wrote on Apr 26^th, 2011 at 3:52am:

Should Alcohol be treated like cigs, plain wrapped and pictures of it's health effects on the container?

Where does it stop? Should McDonalds wrappers have a health warning that over-indulgence could lead to obesity which can cause cardiovascular disease (etc)?

Alcoholic drinks, particularly red wine can actually have beneficial effects if consumed in moderation. The same can not be said for cigarettes.  

Maybe society is so stupid as to require such warnings. I bought a rechargeable power drill the other week, and the instructions warned that it should not be used for dentistry.

This is a bad idea. How will you know whose drink is whose if they all look the same? What if you accidentally end up drinking heavies instead of lights? Would you also impose conformity in bottle shape?

Where will it stop? The ABC has started warning people that nature documentaries may contain images of animals being eaten - but so far only for the charismatic macrovertebrates.

Perhaps we should construct alcohol injecting rooms on every street corner?

An emphatic 'NO!'.

Nor should tobacco.

I don't know where you people are living, but cigarettes do NOT have "plain wrappers" here. They are the same colours and designs they have always had, plus the cool pictures of lung operations on.

If Thailand wants to export or import alcohol, let them have one label for domestic, one for import. Cigarettes purchased at the airport (duty free) had no warning labels on them, the last time I went overseas.

(Sobrani Black Russian cigarettes are no longer available here because they refused to defile their packets with gooshy surgery pics.)

d.