Underlying causes?

I do believe that piss is King of NZ.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10735897

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/crime/news/article.cfm?c_id=30&objectid=10735810

And this is what the defence said:

'...Emery's blood-alcohol level was 2 times over the legal youth limit.

Defence counsel Tony Balme submitted that while alcohol was involved it was not a key factor.

"It was consumed early the previous evening. This is not a situation where he had been swigging out of cans and driving."...'

The level of denial in this country *does* amuse me, because I have a very dark sense of the abusrd. Can't quite figure out how our kids are ending up smashed on the roads, macheting policemen, attacking people, suffering depression, having suicidal thoughts.... yet when they see their parents 'relaxing' every night with piss, having it form the backbone of any celebration, you wonder?

I went shopping with my child at around 6.00pm last night at our local supermarket. It was largely empty, something that I commented on. 'Oh, mum, you know everyone's out getting pissed. It's Friday.' Out of the mouths of babes, eh?