Wine surplus

Press, 3 December 1985, Page 20

Wine surplus

Sir, — If it is a question of the wineries going to the wall or reducing the tax on wine so that people can buy more, drink more, and possibly increase our alreadycritically high percentage of alcoholics per capita, then I suggest the former could be a lot less expensive to the taxpayer. Most of us are aware of the huge costs incurred in caring for accident victims, often their families, and the various diseases caused by excessive drinking. Recently, we have been told that there are 30 litres excess wine per man, woman and child in New Zealand and that the public cannot cope with it. This sort of useless comment could almost be taken to mean that we should be drinking more in order to “cope” with the approximately 40 per cent increase in production. It is to be hoped that the Government will not be foolish enough to reduce the tax on this non-essential item, particularly for the sake of those who tend to be addicted. — Yours, etc., J. LEESON. November 11, 1985.