Internet shopping's dirty little secret

The Age had picked up a story from the Los Angeles Times describing a global Internet phennomenon - BUI, or buying under the influence. "It's the vodka nights that really get me into trouble," said Kelly Krause, a film publicist by day, "I once woke up and I had spent $700." But that wasn't inflated bar prices - she prefers to stay in for her ideal bender. "On Mondays, she sips white wine, watches The Hills and then visits seenon.com to buy accessories from actor Lauren Conrad's wardrobe. Friday nights involve vodka-tonics and a date with neimanmarcus.com. About those Tory Burch flats? 'I own several pairs and I don't recall buying one of them sober,' she says."

And apparently this is a growing trend, in Britan "[t]here's a book Shopping While Drunk: Confessions From Modern Life and in 2005 the research firm Conchango deemed the syndrome BLOTO (Buying Loads Of Tat Online)."

"It's fun," Krause says, "and it's the only thing you can do after a few drinks and not have any regrets."

Source: The Age

Flying pot takes to the skies

Carlton Draught have demonstrated their brand-new marketing weapon to the unsuspecting Melbourne public - a 30-metre-high pot glass, filled with Carlton Draught (complete with froth), floating in the sky.

The hot-air baloon was made for use during the AFL finals series, and will then tour Australia. "We loved the idea of a giant flying pot glass," said a Carlton Draught spokesperson. "We also figured the sight of it in full flight would turn heads." The pilot-driven balloon is believed to be the first shaped like a pot in the world.

Source: The Age (Includes Picture)

Street View drunk identified

The man in the Google Street View picture that made it to the front page of popular social-news website Reddit five days ago has been identified by The Age. The picture was submitted to Reddit on August 6, and quickly received 154 up votes before being removed by Google.

The submission received 29 comments on the internationally-accessible website, including "Since it's Australia I'm surprised there's only one guy" and "For some reason, as soon as I saw this, I knew it would be somewhere in Victoria. Possibly because my uncle used to live near there."

Tongue-in-cheek speculation about the identity of the lone man on a Lakes Entrance street started quickly. "Oh that's Drunk Phill, the town drunk. He's there from 8-5, Monday-Friday." Thanks to journalists at The Age we can now report who the man actually is.


His name is Bill
Well, kind of, The Age has decided to help the man regain some of his privacy and elected to use the pseudonym Bill. Apparently Bill had been drowning his sorrows over the weekend after attending the funeral of his best friend, who died recently in a freak boating accident. The Friday funeral, and subsequent drinking, had left the man feeling "worse for wear" on the morning of February 4. "Come Monday morning, I got out of the taxi and rolled over on the grass and went to sleep on the footpath", he said.

What does Bill think about the international exposure? "I'm not too happy about it - I mean, I shouldn't have been there in the state that I was in but I wasn't really thinking there would be someone driving past with a video camera on the roof filming me either."

Source: The Age

Jim Beam apologises for stalker ads

Today's Age is reporting spirits company Beam Global Spirits and Wine closed their website The Neighbours after upsetting health groups and the government. The website was a part of a television advertisement linked to an "even racier website" intended to promote Jim Beam. According to The Age the website contained a woman washing dishes topless and was accused of treating women as sex objects and promoting stalking. James Sykes, marketing director for Beam Global Spirits and Wine, admitted that the site had been shut down because it was "unacceptable".



The Jim Beam move has reignited debate about alcohol companies needing regulation for Internet-based advertising campaigns. The current process of self-regulated advertising code requires print and broadcast advertisements to be pre-vetted by an independent panel - Internet promotions are currently exempt from these measures.

Source: The Age

VB "too cold" at international beer festival

And in a fluff piece for The Age, David Wroe reports from Berlin "you can get it eating bratwurst. You can get it wearing lederhosen. But German beer lovers, it seems, didn't quite get it at all." Click here for the full story.

Study: Tax the amount of alcohol in a drink

Volumetric taxation of alcohol would be the most cost-effective way to combat binge drinking according to an Australian study funded by Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation (AER) Foundation. Banning alcohol advertising would be the second most cost-effective and sustainable measure with raising the legal drinking age to 21 years coming in third.

Christopher Doran, from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, and Theo Vos from the University of Queensland, co-authors of the study say volumetric taxation and banning alcohol advertising should be a high priority.

"We need a fairer system that taxes alcohol as alcohol, rather than having different rates for beer, wine or spirits" said Daryl Smeaton, chief executive of AER in The Age. "Volumetric taxation makes sense from an economic, health and community perspective and is a crucial first step that needs to be taken in order to change patterns of alcohol consumption."

Currently wine has the lowest taxation of any alcohol beverage, based on alcohol content. If a volumetric tax were to be implemented it would be expected to raise the price of wine, and cask wine in particular. According to The Age, winemakers recently told a Senate enquiry that volumetric tax "would lead to a drop of 250,000 tonnes less in demand for grapes and 3,500 people losing their jobs".

Source: The Age

Bargain hunting Melbourne's nightlife

The Age has recently published a Melbourne "guide to living well on a budget". Here are the ones we thought you might be interested in:

Cheap Pizza
Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy
Lucky Coq, Windsor
Daily pizza specials are "$4 for any selection (try saganaki, green olive and lemon, or mascarpone and eggplant) every weekday lunchtime and from 7pm, Sunday to Thursday."

Cheap Beer
Public Bar, North Melbourne
"Remember $1 pots? A bit like the '60s: if you do, you probably weren't there. One stalwart stills keeps the faith: North Melbourne's Public Bar pours out dollar drinks every Monday and keeps costs low throughout the week."

Mumbler, Richmond
"Richmond's Mumbler offers a quiet way to start up or wind down the weekend with microbrewed beer pots only $2.50 on Thursday, Friday and Sunday afternoons."

Cheap Spirits
Alderman, Brunswick
"More genteel sorts might head north to Brunswick's the Alderman, where top-shelf spirits won't break the $7 mark."

Free Gigs
"Of the 150 or so local gigs happening around town every week, roughly half are completely free, meaning that, in these difficult fiscal times, catching a live band need not break the bank... Sunday to Thursday are the prime freeloading days, when bands just starting out, or perhaps a little too interesting to reach a broader audience, come out to play."

The Espy, St Kilda
"The Esplanade Hotel is a hot spot for broke-ass rockers. With three separate band rooms running almost every night, there's a surfeit of choice, and only the occasional big gig in the Espy's Gershwin Room will charge entry."

Other suggestions:
Greyhound Hotel, St Kilda
Local Taphouse, St Kilda
Pure Pop Records, St Kilda
St Kilda Bowling Club, St Kilda
Lomond Hotel, Brunswick
Mi Corazon, Brunswick
Retreat Hotel, Brunswick
Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick
Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy
The Night Cat, Fitzroy
Wesley Anne, Northcote
303, Northcote

Click here to read the full Age guide with even more tips for cheap fashion and free arts fun.

New Review: The Gem

Michael Harden would like to take you to Collingwood for a traditional inner north pub experience at The Gem. "The Gem used to be called Curry's Family Hotel and despite the framed Elvis portraits, the tattooed bartenders and a crowd that leans towards chunky boots and skinny jeans, the welcoming, unpretentious vibe suggested by the former name still holds sway." Click here to read the full Epicure review.

Alcopop tax enough?

Steve Fielding, Family First Senator-elect, will apparently take on the government and its moves against binge drinking as he holds back his support for the proposed pre-mixed alcoholic drink tax rise.

"If the Rudd Government is serious about creating a culture of responsible drinking, and it wants to prove the alcopops tax is not just a tax grab, (it) would also introduce alcohol warning labels to alcopops and all other alcohol products," Mr Fielding said.

Bob Brown, leader of the Australian Greens raised similar concerns and along with independent Nick Xenophon the three men will share the balance of power in the new Senate. None of the men have committed support to the Government's tax rise and the Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson has promised to block it.

Australia currently has no uniform tax on a set measure of alcohol - taxes on a litre of wine, beer or spirits are all different. Shadow treasurer Malcolm Turnbull added that the move only added to the anomalies of alcohol taxation.

The Age has taken the opportunity to rehash expert opinion on the alcopop tax issue, listing the following expert's opinions in support of the government's move with their recent article:
"Evidence around the world shows that volumetric taxation is one of the most effective levers for reducing excessive consumption." - John Rogerson, chief executive of the Australian Drug Foundation.
"International evidence demonstrates that taxing alcopops at the same rate as bottled spirits will change the consumption patters among young people and lead to less alcohol-related harm." - Daryl Smeaton, chief executive of Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation
"There is now drastic evidence showing that young women are out-drinking their male counterparts, and unfortunately many of them drink to get drunk. This has been helped by the ready availability of cheap spirit-based drinks, which have become the first drink of choice for young women." - Professor Mike Daube, president of the Public Health Association of Australia
"It's easy to ridicule such measures but they tend to be surprisingly effective." - Professor John Toumbourou, Deakin University
"Using taxation or pricing as a lever for reducing harmful consumption is a really good idea." - Rob Moodie, chairman of the National Prevention Health Taskforce
"Frankly, the more we can do to make these sweeter beverages less available to young people, whose bodies and brains are still developing, the better." - Professor Richard Mattick, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

Source: The Age

Sticky situation leaves man at a loss

A Queensland man has been victim to a drunken prank by a 26 year-old friend poured superglue into his ear - and required major surgery costing $8,000 to have the glue removed from his ear and restore hearing. The event allegedly occurred when Ryan Liam Upton, also 26, found the man passed out during a party at Greenslopes on Brisbane's southside. Ryan allegedly poured superglue on the man's hand and down his pants as a joke - then he decided to pour superglue in the ear to take the prank further.

Source: The Age

Sydney's alcohol-related crime doubles in a decade

"Everything is not fine," the NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione told reporters in Sydney yesterday. The NSW auditor-general's report found there were 20,475 alcohol-related assaults (ARAs) statewide in the 2006-07 financial year, up from 10,305 ARAs recorded in 1997-98. The commissioner also noted that 15 per cent of the state's licensed outlets were "problem hotels", he denied there was a shortage of police to oversee the hotels but did say a dedicated 30-person "alcohol law enforcement command" was being established.

Source: The Age

2020 Summit to discuss alcohol violence

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has said proposals to tackle the "national contagion" of alcohol abuse will be debated at this weekend's Australia 2020 summit. "It's time as a nation and as a community we decided to turn the corner on this because I think in many parts of the country, most parents would agree, it's getting out of hand."

A recent Roy Morgan telephone poll is also cited within The Age article, showing almost one in five Australians had endured alcohol-related violence or knew a friend or relative who had.

Source: The Age

Catholics back Fielding

The Catholic church has yesterday backed plans for a ban on alcohol advertising before 9pm. The Australian Catholic bishop's conference is quoted in The Age as saying "Consuming alcohol is an adult activity and deciding to consume alcohol should be an adult decision."

Source: The Age

Government: No increase in drinking age

Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon has today ruled out increasing the national drinking age from 18 to 21 years of age in the near future. She also said alcohol tax increases were not priorities in the short-term but would be considered if there was community support.

Source: The Age

Increasing the drinking age to 21

Jason Dowling has written a two-page piece in today's Age about the current push for the drinking age to be lifted from 18 to 21 years of age. Professor Jon Currie, chairman of the Victorian Drug and Alcohol Prevention Council and the director of addiction medicine and mental health at St Vincent's Hospital, said lifting the drinking age to 21 would be a "last resort", but it should definitely be included in discussions about youth alcohol abuse.

Others in support of an increase of the age for drinking alcohol include John Toumbourou, a Deakin University health psychology professor who also works for the Murdoch Children's Research Institute. He said he was a "very strong supporter" of lifting the drinking age as it had a proven track record of reducing alcohol-related harm to the brain, which is still forming into the early 20s.

Brian Kearney, chief executive of Victoria's Australian Hotels Association (AHA), said lifting the limit would make criminals of thousands of 18 to 21 year-old youths.

Source: The Age

More live music

Following on from a recent increase in copyright fees for licensed music at entertainment venues, The Age is suggesting a "renaissance" of live music at pubs and clubs.

Sydney nightclub co-owner Phil Cawood said "it may completely change the industry ... music cycles last about seven to 10 years. We're on the pale end of the DJ boom - live music may be the next big thing."

Source: The Age

Alcohol advertising under scrutiny

In a five page article for The Age, Julian Lee shows parallels between the current alcohol industry facing advertising restrictions and the tobacco industry of the past. He argues that the alcohol industry denying the link between alcohol advertising and binge drinking is similar to the tobacco industry denying the link between tobacco advertising and cancer.

The article also highlights how Bluetongue Brewery deliberately broke the alcohol industry's self-appointed code on appropriate advertising - as they were not a signatory to the code and were not using television to display their ad for Bondi Blonde. The advertisement in question was accessible on the product's website for two months after it was requested to be removed and continues to be shown on YouTube. It shows the consumption of alcohol whilst engaging in sport and creates a clear connection between consuming Bondi Blonde and having sexual success.

The Bondi Blone ad (YouTube.com)

Source: The Age

Why do people want to get pissed?

In an article heavy on expert opinions, The Age, gives us the views of Professor John Fitzgerald, VicHealth senior research fellow at Melbourne University, who claims his research hasn't nailed one pivotal question: "Why do people want to get pissed?"

It goes on to talk to:
Kate Roffey, VicSport chief executive
Dr Con Stavros, a senior marketing lecturer at RMIT who is a member of the reference group for the Australian Drug Foundation's community alcohol action network
Rob Moodie, professor of global health at the Melbourne University's Nossal Institute
Brendon Gale, AFL Players Association chief executive
Michael Sholly, chief executive of the Victorian Amateur Football Association
Professor Robin Room, a world authority on alcohol policy and acting director of Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre
Dr Simon Crisp, a clinical adolescent psychologist from Monash University
David Murray, Youth Substance Abuse Service chief executive

And concludes with this in the second last paragraph:
"One of the major issues alcohol experts believe exacerbates health and social problems is the proliferation of liquor licences. In Victoria there have been two licences granted every day for the past 20 years. Recent research confirmed the link between licences and violence, indicating that every new bottle shop opened in a rural area will lead to 32 assaults, and each new pub in the city will spark 17 domestic violence cases."

New Review: Lotus

Clem Bastow has just reviewed South Yarra's Lotus Bar for The Age's Epicure bar guide.

The review is just as much about her experience at a "Single & Sexy" over-28s night, and brilliantly captures her first impressions of the bar.

The Epicure summary for Lotus:
"You never know what you will find when you visit South Yarra institution Lotus."

Police blitzing bingers

This weekend police are running a blitz this weekend concentrating on street offences, underage drinking and public drunkenness. The Age is reporting Deputy Police Commissioner Simon Overland as saying the public should consider: having a summit to discuss youth substance abuse, violence and antisocial behaviour; ensuring parents take more responsibility for the actions of their teenagers; introducing tougher laws to charge adults, including parents, who buy alcohol for under-age drinkers; and beginning a long-term campaign to change social attitudes to public drunkenness. Mr Overland claims there is a "series of complex social issues" underpinning the increase in Melbourne violence, and it is too easy to blame young partygoers.

While clinical psychologist Dr Simon Crisp at Monash University says the state government should consider raising the legal drinking age to twenty-one years of age.