| 6 March 2009 - New Alcohol guidelines Are Very Clear, says ADCA |
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The Alcohol and other Drugs Council of Australia (ADCA) welcomes and strongly supports the revised alcohol guidelines released today by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NH&MRC).
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Alcohol and other Drugs Council of Australia (ADCA), Mr David Templeman, praised the clarity and simplicity of the guidelines to help all Australians understand the harms from alcohol. Men and women over 18 are encouraged to have no more than two (2) standard drinks per day on average. Women who are pregnant, or breast feeding are advised to refrain from drinking. Young people under 18 are also advised to avoid drinking. Men and women are also advised to have no more than four (4) standard drinks in a single drinking occasion. "These guidelines are not about chastising Australians for drinking," Mr Templeman said. "Rather, they are designed to provide reliable information on the risks from drinking and to raise greater awareness on the potential harms from excessive consumption of alcohol." ADCA and the alcohol and other drugs (AOD) sector looks forward to working with the NH&MRC and Governments at all levels to develop and implement community awareness campaigns. "The evidence collected by the NH&MRC gives further weight to the Government's alcopop taxation reform," Mr Templeman said. "The new Guidelines provide more impetus for young people to avoid drinking." Mr Templeman said that the thoroughness of the substantive work that has resulted in the revised Guidelines suggest that the health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption have been over sold. "The health benefits of drinking alcohol have always been questioned and ADCA notes that the Guidelines do not recommend taking up drinking for any potential benefit," Mr Templeman said. "As the national peak body for the AOD sector, ADCA will continue to advocate for the passing by Parliament of the RTD taxation legislation. In addition, we will maintain our stance on the need for comprehensive alcohol taxation reform, including the management of responsible drinking, reform of product branding and advertising, licensing and trading hours reform, and alcohol awareness projects for communities." Media Enquiries: Phone 02 6281 0686 or 0400 860 058 |
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