KIDDY-FLAVOURED BOOZE SHOWS THAT GREED RULES

Just in time for "dry grads," I note that the liquor control board has
stacked up on all kinds of attractive fruit/alcohol drinks for
youngsters. Raspberry Zinfandel, peach Chablis, black currant,
strawberry and cherry-flavoured wines abound. Much more difficult to
find is the listing for the alcoholic content of these drinks.

Of course, these new kiddy friendly flavours are all stacked near the
front of the store, taking up prominent display areas to catch the new
graduating class of 2000 and establish proper early drinking patterns.
And to think we thought only cigarette compainies recruited young
people.

The provincial government, through its liquor control board, can only
be deemed to be actively encouraging alcohol consumption among youths
by the predominant display and promotion of these new kiddy-flavoured
drinks. I will not be surprised when I see bubblegum coolers stacked
next to the cash registers.

Not only do the liquor control board's marketing practices for these
soft-drink look-a-likes make a mockery of promoting responsible
consumption patterns for our young people, they reveal the
government's true motivation - greed. As long as there is a tax buck
to be made in vice, cigarettes and alcohol included, our government
will be standing proud at the front of the line-up.

No wonder they are so adamant about prosecuting marijuana
grow-operations. The threat to their monopoly of mind alteration
through alcohol could possibly be threatened. Legalizeation of the
much more benign consumption of cannabis will occur only when
government figures out how to make an excessive profit from it. One
look at your local liquor store's prominent display of kiddy-oriented
drinks will reveal this truth.

Stephen D. Taylor,
Nanaimo