The Alcohol and Other Drugs Council of Australia - ADCA Commends United Policing Stand Against Alcohol Harm

ADCA Commends United Policing Stand Against Alcohol Harm – 19 November 2009

The Alcohol and other Drugs Council of Australia (ADCA) applauds the united stand of Police agencies across Australia and New Zealand against drunken violence as part of a crackdown codenamed Operation Unite. Operation Unite is a new initiative and will combine police forces in all Australian States/ Territories and New Zealand in a two-day blitz aimed at tackling alcohol-fuelled crime and anti-social behaviour on 11-12 December.

“Excessive drinking can no longer be tolerated,” ADCA Chief Executive Officer, David Templeman said. “We must take the harmful effects of drinking more seriously and change what has become an ‘accepted culture’. Alcohol is a drug – TOO!”

Alcohol is the drug that in Australia kills on average more than 60 people each week and hospitalises another 1500. All indications are numbers will continue to rise – unless significant changes are made in alcohol policy, policing and licensing laws, with more invested in frontline AOD services.

“While we must provide our Police Commissioners and the on-the-ground officers with the ability to manage alcohol-fuelled violence, we should be aiming to minimise excessive consumption of alcohol in the first instance,” Mr Templeman said.

“We all need to understand that excessive alcohol consumption can damage our health. The best result that Operation Unite could achieve would be zero arrests, empty emergency wards, and licensed premises undamaged. “Our communities have the right to feel safe, and unfortunately some of our laws relating to alcohol have been inconsistent across jurisdictions which makes it very hard for those who are charged with the responsibility for maintaining law and order. At present, one in five Australians frequently drinks to excess, and one in 10 drinks at chronic harm levels.”

Mr Templeman said that latest alcohol research data from the National Drug Research Institute (NDRI) provided a stark wake-up call for those people only interested in drinking to excess. Over a 10-year period, some 32 696 Australians aged 15 and over died as a result of risky or high risk alcohol consumption, and alcohol-related hospitalisations increased by over 30 per cent to 813 072.

“In Perth today, Police Commissioners are finalising plans for Operation Unite and ADCA looks forward to endorsing actions that hopefully will make people think before they launch themselves on a bender that could end up in an emergency ward, or in jail on a charge resulting from a brawl or disorderly behaviour,” Mr Templeman said. “This is one of this most pressing social challenges of our time, and Operating Unite is highly commended.”

Mr Templeman said ADCA would continue to advocate for changes to national laws and policies that target alcohol availability, advertising/ marketing, labelling, risk awareness, Indigenous communities and families and preventative health options.

Media Enquiries: Brian Flanagan – ADCA Strategic Communications/policy on 6215 9802 or 0400 860 058

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