Is it time to face the fact that our nation is boozed to the gills and suffering terrible consequences as a result? Photo / Glenn Taylor, File
Rarely have the nation's health services been so in the forefront of our thinking with plans for restructuring and additional resources committed to our social, mental and physical welfare. Yet one giant elephant crashes unrestrained through the whole system and unless controlled
will continue to create havoc among us. One in five adults drinks regularly to excess and one in four young adults. One in five men and one in 10 women die prematurely from liquor-related causes.
Alcohol over-use is carcinogenic, a contributor to obesity, diabetes and heart disease. It is a major contributor to violence - especially domestic violence against women and children. Eighteen hundred children are born each year with fetal alcohol syndrome. Alcohol over-use exacerbates mental illness, social disorder and crime. The cost to the health system is at least five billion dollars per year. We need to change our drinking culture by finding healthier ways to interact and celebrate and by demanding that government stand up to the liquor industry that thus far has effectively quashed nearly every recommendation to control it especially, price, number of outlets and product promotion.
Not reassured
It's great news that the vaccine will be stored and administered through GPs and chemists (Weekend Herald, May 29), in line with many countries overseas. However, before anyone gets too excited there could potentially be further danger due to the Melbourne outbreak.
There are two unassailable facts New Zealand can't afford to ignore.
First, at the time of writing, an aggregate of both first and second doses have been administered to approximately 11.25 per cent of our population. The word vulnerable comes to mind.
Second, given that every outbreak we've endured has been the direct result of human error and people not doing the right thing, what assurances can the Minister and Dr Bloomfield offer that the 5000 people told to self-isolate and get tested if experiencing symptoms will behave responsibly?
Before the Government hands out any more carrots, I'd much rather they give succinct and honest answers as to how they're going to ameliorate the latest risk.
Mary Hearn, Glendowie.
Hypocritical outrage
The forcing down of a Ryanair airliner (Weekend Herald, May 31), under the guise of an alleged bomb threat, now revealed as a ruse by the authoritarian Belarus Government to seize one of the plane's passengers, is an act of state-sponsored air piracy which, like France's bombing of the Rainbow Warrior, is deserving of the strongest international condemnation
Still, it's ironic that many of the EU states now expressing outrage are among those who, in July 2013, took part in a similar charade to force a commercial flight carrying Bolivian president Evo Morales, returning home from a visit to Russia, to land in Austria, because the US State Department suspected Edward Snowden, wanted for having revealed a raft of classified US documents, was a passenger.
And the man who the then US President Barack Obama charged with the task of seizing Snowden was Joe Biden
M. Evans,Tāmaki .
One size fits all
The idea of obfuscating the size of garments (Weekend Herald, May 29) is not new. In the 1970's I worked at Classic Manufacturing, which made the Air New Zealand air hostess uniforms.
Some of the women were aghast that the size label said they were bigger than they thought and were insistent that the size label was a mistake.
To resolve the problem, and to soothe any ruffled feathers, it was decided to put size 10 labels in every garment and, in ballpoint, write on the back of the dry-clean/ wash care label the woman's actual bust, waist and hip measurement, in case the garment was returned for a replacement or repair.
John Capener, Kawerau.
Chinese relations
Steve Braunias (Weekend Herald, May 29) "The Secret Diary of 60 Minutes Australia" was a "hoot" but it also was much more than just a brilliant satirical joust about our foreign relations.
New Zealanders were reported as laughing at the notion that "we might be in the thrall of China" but that this (nervous?) laughter was itself at the behest ... of China.
The serious point to be made is that, under the present Government, we have been sleep-walking to a China policy position that has just "appeared" ... without the benefit of public debate or, (as is these days ... usual), without any discernible process.
Such an important plank of our foreign relations as this, deserves better. Before we go much further down this dangerous path, it is time to foster an extensive and open discussion on our future China-New Zealand relations.
Larry Mitchell, Rothesay Bay.
Rugby stadiums
Once upon a time rugby was an amateur sport. Rugby grounds were paid for by ratepayers and taxpayers, but we didn't have to pay to watch matches live on TV.
Then rugby went professional. We could no longer watch the matches on TV unless we subscribed to Sky. Oddly enough, we were still expected to pay for the rugby grounds which were now called multi-sport stadiums.
New Zealand rugby is now poised to become just one more brand in a global private equity firm's portfolio. If the Silver Lake deal goes ahead, will we still be expected to pay for rugby's business premises?
Phil Robinson, Ngunguru.
Murray Hunter suggests (Weekend Herald, May 29) the red moon as a sign of Labour victory in 2023. He may wish to consider the next blue moon is due in August 2023, just in time for an election. Patrick Grant, Stanmore Bay.
Every time Emmerson (Weekend Herald, May 29) snipes at David Seymour, ACT's poll rating (and Seymour's as preferred PM) rises. Please, keep it up. M A Pollock, Mt Eden.
Your cartoonist portrays David Seymour as a goat, apparently not knowing it stands for " greatest of all time". Mike Brooke, New Plymouth.
Gary Larsen writes (Herald, May 31) that David Seymour will like take umbrage at the cartoon portraying him as a goat. Spare a thought for how the goat would feel. Bill Mathews, St Marys Bay.
Just read the CV of Air NZ's Leanne Geraghty (Weekend Herald, May 29). Wow, what an achiever. Hearty congratulations to her. John Hampson, Meadowbank.
To the next light-thinking progressive moron (or MP) who has the temerity to say to me "It takes a village to raise a child", I will reply: "Tell that to the Centrepoint children". Dylan Tipene, Rānui.
When the law doesn't agree with your opinions, you can just ignore it? I guess for cyclists it goes along with the number riding on footpaths or not wearing helmets. James Archibald, Birkenhead.
New Auckland Harbour Bridge: Second standalone bridge for cyclists, pedestrians confirmed... insanity. Andrew Montgomery, Remuera.
Having just completed a two week stint in an Auckland MIQ facility, I can't speak highly enough of the thoroughly professional and well co-ordinated service I experienced. Steve Maric, Warkworth.
Grant Dalton and his crew seem to be reflecting the well-known phrase to do with boys, toys and cot. They certainly don't represent a team our country needs today. Emma Mackintosh, Birkenhead.
Hallucinogenic drugs are small beer compared to the mass hallucination of limitless growth in our finite planet. Kenneth Lees, Whāngārei.
The world desperately needs a unifying force like the Olympics at this dismal time. Richer countries should band together and make available a large, already-vaccinated cadre of health workers to blitzkrieg vaccinate all 127 million Japanese so they'll welcome our athletes. Robert Myers, Auckland Central.
I some times wonder: if it had been a Kiwi expedition to Everest, would an Englishman been picked for the final ascent? Ron Donovan, Matamata.
Maybe I'm a bit sensitive here, because "Lefty" Phil Mickelson and I share a pretty close birthdate but when did our expectations of others in their prime of life become so low? Julie Fennell, Northcote.
Opinion: The council's new plans for dog walking are coming to a showdown.