Editorial: Small price to pay

At least 75 per cent of assaults between 9pm and 6am are estimated to be alcohol-related. Photo / 123RF

As many of us enjoy a wine or two in the sun, the notion that alcohol prices could go up because of demands from doctors might be galling.

As we report today, Auckland District Health Board has lent its considerable weight to calls to make changes to our drinking laws. The DHB joins other health boards in endorsing a position statement on alcohol harm, calling for price hikes, restrictions on advertising and sponsorship, and an increase in the purchasing age.

It will be an unpopular stance for many.

It's a well worn catch-cry that the whole of society shouldn't be punished for the sins of a few. Leave us alone, wowsers.

But that is disingenuous.

First, consider the voices calling for change. These are our frontline medical experts; those we rely on when the very worst happens. They say they are groaning under the weight of booze-related carnage and disease. To dismiss them out of hand is foolhardy at best and dangerous at worst.

Second, consider the numbers. There are 47,000 people who drink "hazardously" within Auckland DHB's boundary, with more than one in four men in that category. Drinking is linked to liver cirrhosis, cancers and strokes. At least 75 per cent of assaults between 9pm and 6am are estimated to be alcohol-related.

And third, consider the price - a bottle of wine can be picked up for as little as $6. This is unlikely to be the tipple of choice for those who enjoy a couple of glasses of a summer evening. But it is this market that needs curbing.

DHBs have been the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff for too long. It is little surprise that they are moving proactively to try to stop preventable harm.

Fifteen DHBs now have their own varying position statements on alcohol harm.

There are myriad measures that could be adopted - some are likely to be successful and some will probably not. But it is time the Government listened to our health experts and looked seriously at some options.

There are lives at stake. A couple of extra dollars for a bottle of wine is a small price to pay.