August 06 - Alcohol Consumption Raises Concerns

The Australian Alcohol and other Drugs Council of Australia (ADCA) today called for increased Government funding to raise community awareness to the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption. “The YouTube video of Australian Defence Force soldiers binge drinking, the Alcohol Related Brain Injury Australian Services (ARBIAS) report stating more than two million people are risking brain damage, and claims that the alcohol industry is targeting young people with ready-to-drink ‘alcopops’, are issues of great concern,” Ms Donna Bull, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ADCA, said. “Research shows that across Australia some 7.5 million working days are lost due to alcohol, the economic impact is a loss of about $1.2 billion, families are torn apart, domestic violence results in hospitals and the health system being overloaded, police services are over-stretched, and our courts are being unnecessarily clogged-up.” Ms Bull said while the alcohol and other drugs sector was performing to the best of its ability, the sector was hamstrung by inadequate funding which resulted in the health of Australians and our economy being jeopardised. “Alcohol is a killer – there are some 3000 alcohol-related deaths annually in Australia, with another 10 000 people requiring major on-going treatment,” Ms Bull said. “In fact, 10 people die each day in Australia as a result of binge drinking.” Ms Bull said that alcohol-related disease needs recognition as the most significant public health issue faced by Australia, and requires high priority attention in a similar vein and funding like that allocated to areas such as immigration, national security, and water? There is extreme concern when unfortunate statements like “larrikin irreverence” and “letting off steam” from Government spokespersons commenting on the video showing Defence personnel binge drinking. "In an environment where high levels of alcohol use are regarded as unexceptional, it could be difficult for individuals to see themselves as having a problem with their level of use, particularly if their peers or supervisors are drinking at similar levels or telling 'war-stories' about their alcohol consumption," Ms Bull said. "There are current practices in Defence that potentially contribute to excessive consumption of alcohol, and these practices are perceived by many to contribute to not only encouragement of, but also an expectation of, alcohol use". Ms Bull said the video and subsequently statements created the perception that this type of activity was the norm and unfortunately supported the finding in the ARBIAS report. “The broader problem of alcohol abuse and its significant impact on all areas of society in Australia continues to be a daily occurrence. Binge drinking by our youth continues to increase with alcohol being responsible for deaths of more young people under 35 than any other drug,” Ms Bull said. “Our hospitals are over loaded with people needing medical treatment often caused by excessive alcohol consumption which results in domestic violence, assault, and road accidents. This also impacts on community policing and their priority to deal with general crime.” Ms Bull said Australia also needs to address alcohol advertising and its promotional targeting of young people with what appears to be a message that excessive consumption of ready-to-drink beverages like “alcopops” is good when nothing can be further from the truth. Ms Bull said growing alcohol problems need community, government and industry leadership and action to come together and acknowledge this issue is a national health care priority. “We must have a considered and balanced approach to address this problem including urgent funding for enhanced health and community development including education and treatment services,” Ms Bull said. ATTENTION NEWS EDITORS/ PRODUCERS To speak with the CEO, Ms Donna Bull, contact Brian Flanagan on 02 6281 0686 (switch) or 0400 860 058 (m), or send on email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . 6 August 2007

 

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