I’m just going to file this under “What the actual?”
The government is undertaking a sector review of the hairdressing industry to address what ACT leader David Seymour views as “unnecessary” regulations.
[…] At first glance, the Hairdressing (Reducing Restrictions) Bill contains what seem like harmless, even appealing, ideas. Being offered a complimentary glass of wine or a beer while I get my hair done feels a little indulgent, luxurious even. After all, what harm could come from having a drink during a haircut?
On the surface, the proposal appears to be about enhancing customer experience. But when we pause and take a closer look, we can see that it’s also about shifting our social norms around alcohol usage in ways that may not be immediately apparent.
[…] The question we need to ask ourselves is – do we really want that?
Well, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked past the barber’s and thought, mate, I just wish I could have a beer while I got my hair cut.
The more alcohol becomes a standard part of everyday experiences, the more we blur the lines between regulated consumption and casual drinking. If hairdressers can serve alcohol without a licence, what will stop other service businesses from making similar claims? What about gyms or waiting rooms?
Slippery slope coming up in 3, 2, 1 …
“This bill represents a form of regulatory creep, bypassing the traditional liquor licensing process designed to ensure responsible alcohol service. These regulations exist for a reason – to protect both businesses and the public.
We’re already seeing this creep in other areas.
Digital marketing algorithms are targeting young people and those in lower socioeconomic communities through reels, influencers and tailored ads on social media.
There is also the growth of online alcohol sales and doorstep deliveries, often operating in regulatory grey areas with minimal oversight or checks in place.
[…] New Zealand is grappling with significant alcohol-related harm, from family violence to long-term health issues. We already know, from decades’ worth of evidence and public health warnings, that increasing accessibility, affordability and availability of alcohol leads to more harm, not less.
[…] None of this is to say that we should oppose all change. We should, however, be rigorous about the potential consequences. A free drink with your haircut sounds harmless, but it pushes alcohol further into our daily lives. When we think about our communities – the places where we spend our time – is this a shift we’re comfortable with?
My question is why? Why is ACT wasting time on idiocy like this? Never in a million years would it have occurred to me that, wow, did you know that you can’t go the hairdressers and have a glass of wine? That’s just wrong. And we need specific legislation to fix it!
Here’s my solution and I’ll give it to David for free: make it so that no intoxicating substance can in served in spaces where children are allowed. If a business wants an exemption they can apply for it.
That way if a hairdresser wants to serve wine they just need to have, say, a ‘grownups’-only evening. Movie theatres could do the same thing. With the former, though, I can’t see it as something they’d be biting at the bit to do.
As it is, ACT and Seymour are just making fools out of themselves.
I mean, after all, we all know that boozed-up alcoholic Epsom housewives not being able to have Chardonnay while getting a perm is the most pressing issue facing our country.
Source: e-tangata.co.nz/comment-and-analysis/the-slow-creep-of-alcohol/
