Shaming the Irish again
Once again we have to be “world leaders”.
I’m not sure what this fascination is with “leading the world”. It is to our eternal shame that we were the first to introduce a nationwide smoking ban and now we are “leading the way” with alcohol.
If the legislation is passed, enacted and implemented then Ireland would be the first country in the world to have warnings linking alcohol with cancer on product labels.
“Linking” is a beautifully ambiguous word, but who is taking bets that the wording will very quickly become “Alcohol causes cancer” and thus leading to “Alcohol kills”?
So they are putting their little message on all bottles and cans [I wonder if it will apply to top quality champagnes?] and it will only be a matter of time before they are accompanied by lurid images of diseased organs, blood and coffins.
The Bill introduces minimum unit pricing, separation of the display of alcohol from other products in supermarkets and other retail outlets, a 9pm broadcasting “watershed” for advertising; as well as detailed labelling requirements including ingredients, energy (calories) and health warnings.
So where is this going to lead? My bet is on a call for “plain packaging” and “standard bottles”. Claims will be made that “Big Alcohol” are targeting the cheeldren with fancy bottle shapes and glitzy branding.
I’m not sure where they’ll go after this. They can hardly call for a ban on indoor drinking, though I wouldn’t put it past them to try. They will probably produce “research” that shows that second hand alcohol fumes are deadlier than Sarin.
Soon we will be world leaders in the Nanny State Index.
Well, here in the states they have long required separation of alcohol products and later, list of ingredients, etc. I’ll have to check whatever bottles we might have (only for cooking mind you) for any warnings and such but I can pretty much guarantee you that whatever warnings they might have causing cancer isn’t one of them.
Well, there’s some room left to top of the list Finland … but you’ll get there, I guess …
You have my sympathy.
Here in Pa. we have to go to a “State Store” to buy liquor or wine and a Beer Distributor to buy beer by the case or keg. Over the past few years they have attempted to come to a modern state. In the past few years a few supermarkets and convienience stores can sell beer buy the bottle or six pack but the beer is strictly separated from the rest of the store.
The next logical step in this progression is that hamburger packages contain a warning label about the dangers of E. coli, pork products (such as bacon contain warnings of cancer), poultry with warning labels of salmonella and campylobacter. Fresh, unwashed vegetables (bagged or loose) contain warnings of E. coli, salmonella, etc. Oysters have warning labels for Hepatitis A and Vibriosis (for raw consumption). I could go on and on.
Everything that we do, eat, consume every day comes with some potential hazards. Next thing you know they’ll be warning men over 45 that sex could cause heart attacks.
Whatever happened to personal responsibility? It’s madness!!
Imagine a world where there are mandatory stickers throughout the house – over power sockets, on panes of glass, on microwave ovens, on stairs and of course a six foot high warning on the door to that chamber of horrors – the tool shed. There will also have to be warnings at five foot intervals along every pavement warning pedestrians that moving cars are lethal and their fumes cause cancer.
Personal responsibility? What’s that?
“Personal responsibility? What’s that?”
That went out with “Common courtesy” and “Benefit of the doubt”.
And innocent until proven guilty and the right to remain silent ,without it inferring guilt. On and on we go,I need a drink , oh wait.