Wednesday, October 24, .1984

Alcot

At a time when the abuse of alcohol is epidemic in Canada
_and British Columbia leads all 10 provinces in its rate of
alcoholism, it’s unbelievable that cabinet ministers should
tip-toe around the issues of selling booze in grocery stores
and raising the legal drinking age from 19 to 21.

To anyone who knows what misuse of the drug alcohol is
doing to the people of this province it is mind-boggling to
think our leaders are nit-picking over measures which are
clearly designed to keep alcohol away from our kids for as
long as possible. Perhaps even long enough for us to be able
to tell them that it isa drug, it is addictive and that it can kill
you.

Don’t those ede in the big building on Belleville St.
know that alcoholism, directly and indirectly through its con-
tribution to other ailments, is killing more people in Canada
than heart disease, cancer or any other affliction? Don’t they
know that its contribution to. wrecked homes, crime and
social heartache of all kinds is almost beyond measure?

Don’t they know that it is costing the country and province
billions of dollars in revenue through lost or damaged work
productivity, social welfare costs and law enforcement? It is
‘true, in the near view, that the sale of booze brings millions of
dollars into the provincial coffers but ultimately the cost of
coping with immoderate use, far outweighs the immediate
benefit.

If they don’t know tiese things they should talk to some of
their own people — in the ministries of human resources and
health for example. They shouldn’t talk to the lobbyists for
the industrial alcohol manufacturers who spend millions in
sophisticated campaigns trying to persuade legislators to. in-
crease the availability of booze.

The key word is “‘availability.””

Alcohol has been around for a long time and no one is sug-
gesting that it. be banned although it is true that during

Guest editorial

THE REVIEW

key

Raising the legal drinking age to 21 has always been a fac-
tor in reducing the amount of alcoholic beverages consumed

_by young people. No one would be naive enough to believe

that such a law would be completely effective but it does-act
as a deterrent. Peer pressure on kids to drink starts later and
there is a likelihood that more may not drink at all or drink
moderately. And, of course, pressure to obey the law is plac-
ed not only on the consumer but also on the vendor.
Whatever the reason — when the legal drinking age is rais-
ed alcohol consumption by young people drops and when less
alcohol is consumed there are fewer problems drinkers.
~Most Canadians seem to want the age raised. A Gallup poll
taken in the summer of 1983 showed that 62 per cent of those
surveyed. were in favor of the higher age. The Insurance
Bureau of Canada added its voice in mid-August. urging a
-legal drinking age of 21. to control “earnage on’ the
highways.
The arguments against ‘selling beer and wine in grocery
stores are so patently self-evident that they should be obvious

‘even to Consumer and Corporate Affairs Minister. Jim

Hewitt but it seems he is pussyfooting around the issue. -
Availability would be increased enormously. There are 270
government liquor stores in B.C. now and more than 2,500
food stores. Most food stores would obtain licences since it
“would ‘be politically dangerous for the government to. pick
and choose.
Control of sales, expecially to the young, would be. virtual:
ly gone — especially at hundreds of corner grocery stores.
And, can’t you see alcohol products being ‘‘pushed’’ at
thousands of B.C. people for whom. booze is, virtually, a
death warrant.
-running the gauntlet of. the liquor shelves. pga
_. Bargain sales, price-cutting, aggressive promotion, increas-
ed exposure, random violence, longer hours of sales — all

They couid not enter a food. store without ~

Page AS

LADIES FINE QUALITY CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES |

Canada’s short experience with prohibiition, social welfare leading to increased availability. It’s insane even to think

| and law enforcement costs dropped dramatically, Rather about ‘‘privatizing’’ wine and beer sales.
ce than prohibition one should consider control. ‘Ifthe legal drinking age remains at 19 and if the’sale of beer
‘ “Hundreds. of. studies have been done on the cause, inden-. _and wine is allowed in grocery stores.one can-only conclude

~tifiction, prevention and treatment of alcoholism and, if
there is one conclusion which emerges clearly and without
; contradiction it is: the incidence of. alcoholism. hinges on ay.
been ets -availability. When it’s harder to. get ‘the rate of. alcoholism
Beers falls. And the reverse is also true. eed fered
x << Education is helpful i in alcoholism prevention as are severe
-. penalties for alcohol- related offences. Shorter hours of. sale,
and high price are effective.as is the curtailment of advertis-
ing: ‘which falsely: associates consumption of alcohol: with. all,
i he. good. things: of. life, “sports, the’ ‘great’ outdoors; ‘gracious

that the people on Belleville St. have chosen to serve business.
-and-industry rather than the people of. British Columbia.
Those who will profit are: the manufacturers of alcoho] — the
: industrial drug pushers and the retail gr ocery interests.
‘The late. closing corner ‘store- keeper may. benefit: but in= 3
creased sales may be accompanied by. a tisk to his Person: that
“he will have to.consider.. a
But there is no doubt about who will suffer. The people of.
B. Ce already. a litle. groggy. from the damage effects of: high
alcohol consumption,: will be badly hu Bs
: ‘Surely that is: important.,

“oun AMAL

By. offering special incentives and lower rates, B. on Ferries
well increase its passenger: count and make bigger profits in: the end, :
es Skelly says. oo
es... The falling. passenger volume on the B. C ferry system, ‘Skelly says” oy
A can be directly Jinked to fare increases. -and inconvenient - schedules. .
“Many people, he adds, find. that the cost of a‘ferry trip between: the”
mainland» and« Vancouver ‘Island for a. family: with: a vehicle is
“prohibitive.
“With a positive | ane: more business: like annroach, the use of our 2
s ferry system could dramatically increase, satisfying both the ¢ travelling oe
~ publicand the financial managers," he concludes. i
You'll Jook in vain for any reference to Socred incompetence, which oe
would: have most assuredly marked similar musings, from Ine, NDP: of .

~ SIDNEY. STORE CLOSED.
_ SATURDAY ocr. amt

At the legislature

“B.C. politics has never been short on surprises, but what the NDP. old. ” 5 sted ane
has. been dishing out in’ the image. department recently, is etuly Is the change for real? | haven't got a clue, but iy m certain ly in- be
; amazing. trigued by what I see, Bt
im alsa reminded of Barrett’ vinsuecdsefit attempt 10 y exchange fs ome

Grace McCarthy must be wondering more than ever ‘before whether: .
SE eye the ‘New: Democrats are wearing the same ald red: shorts under their oe
ne og pinstripes, ‘es
peat » Gone. are the: days when the NDP. screamed for radical reforms on,
. all fronts. The Socred- baiting thetoric has eet banished from. NDE a
press releases, :
Government measures are criticized with an air of reason, the way a
mother would admonish an errant child. os
And outdoing them all is Bob Skelly, Ie sidei of ‘Her Majesty’ 6b oyal

sleeves: rolled-up, te-askew approach to-a three- “peace: pinstripe act
after the NDP Wis uncer remoniously turfed outol oft ice in. 1975.

Skelly, on the other hand, could, pull it off, “And the’ premier’ a,
reluctance 10. accept his opponent’ s peace offering makes me believe »

that he, too, doesn't pubit past. nelly: 10 sell British Columbians on.

his party’s new image:

The really galling part of the Soereds | is that same the semainents: te
of the smooth-talking Skelly are difficult: to repudiate, The much-
‘Opposition, the. man” whose » political views,” according to many heralded economic. recovery. that was, to Follow: on the heels. of i

i punelits, were supposed to be to the left of his CAUCUS, oo restraint has remained. elusive, ee ya one
Clearly, the government doesn't trust the new NDP. When: Skelly ao ‘ ies erro ; ee
“recently held out an olive branch to Premier Bennett, offering his “oiniiah olunibin’s unerlaymen Bp he mt a fie ‘
~ party's. full co-operation in achieving economic recovery, the premier Gada ive ia ¢ otc if * a aaah iriends wind allleg.: Sela yea ee y
~ said thanks but no, thanks, while Provincial ‘Sectetary, Jim Chabot under criticism from some Riel ndi Sen rane hos
shouted: “Cheap polities.) > fi See TDG: mining industry, for-instance,s recently warned the government ;
; . #2 Sy Fe 5 ies STS y Y ' 1 4 " aah

“Undeterred by the Socreds* caliieiange: 16 Tes Awond: 0: his overture, poeya that unless:it introduced drastic measures quick ve the eindustty, might

> Skelly. presses on, IV his most recent “Report from the Legislature,’ never recover fom its sump. : anes
vt ae printed on soothing green papery. rather than the white: with: NDP-. oe “There: is alsa: more-and more: evitlekst , and not’ inet political ve
So orange his predeccesor. used, Skelly asks the government. to: adopt ae opponents ~ = of the: government! 8 otestry policies parvieniarly in the site
ee nore positive and business-like approach in running, the B. Cc. erry oo areaot reforestation,’ witifigie el ne
Soe SYSTEM Be eS ee TUS NOL AN casy. ‘position: io. be, ny. especially. not it you have we
While Dave: arrelt would have diecuseil the soverniment ot ohatging “reasonable opposition to deal with,» " es
watene -\-oppressively: high ferry rates, thus: gouging the proverbial little guy’. « Sooner or later, the Socreds will fondly remember the days ‘Shen the: best Y
wha, unlike cabinet ministers and rich Socred friends, can’t afford to “opposition: discredited: itself with wild-attacksand.shrill rhetoric, Te...
use planes, Ske tyanveds tothe eovernment§ 's business sense, sey Spa a Was 80 much, easier then Jeep ie maseae from saluing eredipilty.

y 02, NEW YORK
» TERVAHI STEAK:

CHEF'S Sues

MONDAY: THRU Late e
“THURSDAY ; Neseerecrey ONLY!

* OUR FAMOUS 40 ITEM * oe
SALAD BAR | :
_nctupep idly AU DINNERS

Led

eee ae “Local f farmers grow kiwi. fruit

and food, Tadate: kiwi frodt appears fairly, :

New. “Zealand ‘and Californias “hardy to. hts ‘region: “and, can

ruho first

: A kiwi fruit originated in China and oheeame- ~ productive crop, OST was) Warner i. yesistant too many of the: pests
is imore. correctly known, as panticulailye on the Saanich: “sowed the ‘seed in our minds to which. plague other: fruit crops “CHRISTMAS iS COMING
Chinese. Gooseberry. (actipiela os Peninsulay.o prow kiwis fruit. when he. spake _ and with this in mind the station... ~ WE HAVE BANQUET FACILITIES
chinensis). The plant: Woo The federal. ministry, of. ADOULIL aL a Commercial grower’. Will, We. viaetutly _dnenitoring a Book FOR YOUR STAFF PARTY

yp. vigorous, handsome Nin ae
 vequiring. heavy: duty trellis to?
support the weight ofthe faature
plant and. subsequent heavy crop ss

“Miter months.of planning, soil s¢minar last

ane anit et Installation, Of Brennans. said, They felt was. The, Brennans: fetlred to ‘North .
“tt SANG UT aa ee conly fitting’ he should plant paatich some (our years ago bute (it
‘first commercial planting of kiwi that first vine, “sity Mrs, Brennan, .they are

ae of fruit... et fruit began Oct, 15 at Baillwick _ Although: prown evtonnivly oo Mworking harder: “than ever
Sooo dne recent years: ‘it has been ~ Farmy 1765 McTavish Rd,» -hefore! in their new career as

demonstrated by such pioncers as. Ceremoniaily planting the. first no eo ‘

Phy ete farmers. nee
: Henry Bailey, Art Gareia (former) vine for owners Pai and Barbara _ plantingsiat the researeh station ee fh
Brennan’ Wits strict hor on’ East Saanich Rd. for te The couple al raise poultry
ticulturist Brent Warner fromthe purpose of determining the best

cu ee _ nine for eros ind haves one acre in
provincial ministry of agriculture © producing strains: for this, area, rasphertieg ae ieee

F ebruary, “the : plantings, a NOW!!! | ~

WE “AVE ALOT TO OFFER.
“ave USA LanK BEFORE. YOU BOOK!

SUNDAY oe

BRUNCH. \ sittings 19:30 and 1:20. ,
oo HNT'S WHERE YOU
WANE: ed ia

‘auriculture © has experimental

manager of Canada Farm Labor |”
Pool), Dr, Joe Molnar as well'as.
© Brent Warner, that the fruit is.

qlee eet ARURO Me gah TY ere prt 3 aoe sired lp

wR Hl Ba eg Poop ries) ae ; Faia {he fe NOR We itary