Adverts drive me to drink

I always said the official broadcast media was full of pro-Establishment propaganda. So I guess I shouldn't be shocked when Crimestoppers start an advertising campaign - like the ads currently heard on local radio stations (including Trax FM) - encouraging people to help in the crack-down on "under-age" drinking.

Alright, so it flies in the face of all the adverts encouraging us to drink more over Xmas. I know I've had a lot more hassle from "over age" drinkers (ie over 18s) than from those under 18, and the coppers rarely want to know. But we all know, in the eyes of the Establishment, that's different.

I have very little time for age restrictions, which I see as not only discriminatory but also counter-productive. Banning products to groups of people, in a way which is often seen as unfair, is a sure-fire way to give them an un-deserved "cool" or "rebellious" image.

What is striking about the current Crimestoppers campaign is the level of scaremongering used. The ad starts by commenting how intimidating young drinkers can be, the tone gradually becoming more menacing as the advert progresses. So, if you weren't intimidated by young drinkers before hearing the advert, you may well be after hearing this pile of carp (mis-spelling) which has all the impartiality of a Sun editorial.

Part of the reason for young people congregating on the streets is that, unlike adults who can meet in pubs etc, there is often nowhere for the kids to go. The alcohol licencing laws, as they stand, aggravate this problem by effectively barring young people from many discos etc which are held in pubs and other licenced premises.

Many readers of this Blog will probably now accuse me of condoning illegality. Ah well, I may as well hang for a sheep as a lamb.

So BIG UP! for Peoples FM, Notorious FM, Bounce FM, Fresh FM, Radio Frequency, and all the other free radio stations who broadcast free from Establishment control. And free from Establishment propaganda!