Dr. Geoff Robinson and his team  of prominent New Zealanders have recently called for alcohol sales to be banned from supermarkets and  shops such as dairies. Recently we have seen similar efforts to limit sales of tobacco by increasing taxes.

These, and other similar initiatives are well intentioned, but do not get to the root of the problem. When a country calls for the government to implement legislation that should be part of the upbringing and way of living of ordinary families, we know that that society is in trouble.

When a nation has to resort to legislation to control its youth, we are entering into a hopeless situation, analagous to the efforts to bring Afganistan and Iraq into line by force exerted by people who have no understanding or sympathy for the indigenous culture, but are hell-bent in imposing their myopic panaceas no matter what the culture. One size fits all.

Our society is crying out for support for family values and family efforts to censor youth behaviour, instead of criticizing and penalizing parents who attempt to regulate the conduct of their children. Currently, the government penalizes parents who attempt to enforce standards, by giving their children the impression that they may not only limit the sanctions their parents impose, but that the government will support them in this destructive behaviour. It is an open invitation to destroy civil society. Children do not see the full picture, their opinions are not of equal value as those of their parents.

It is in the nature of young people to seek limits, and to push these limits as far as possible. It is the responsibility of parents to see that there are limits, not the limits which young people think are reasonable, but the limits which parents, with their experience of life, know are necessary in order to preserve society, to prevent unequal opinion being granted equal weight.

The proposal to raise the age at which alcohol can be bought is a necessary step in inculcating values in our youth. However, it has value only as part of a whole raft of changes, all of which must be aimed at supporting and strengthening the rights of parents to instill moral and spiritual values in their children. The problem of excess in the consumption of alcohol is not a stand-alone problem. It is part of the whole culture of excess, part of the consumer society, part of the culture of teaching our young that care of one’s possessions, care of one’s life, care of one’s health, care of one’s neighbour is all part of the same mentality, a mentality which puts the dignity of the human person in the centre of one’s values.

If all these things are supported and strengthened, then limiting the availability of alcohol is a good idea. Otherwise it is a waste of time.

Be Sociable, Share!

•