I’ve been bought up as a believer in the prevention paradox; that the majority of alcohol related problems are caused by the majority of the population, who tend to drink in moderation but binge on occasion. And as such, I’ve always been a strong advocate for whole-of-population strategies to reduce alcohol related harm.

So I find it fascinating that there’s renewed interest in strategies which target individual drinkers.

For example, WA police are now able to issue barring notices to patrons behaving in a disorderly manner, potentially banning them from one or more venues for up to a year.
WA police and the State Government are hoping new legislation will put a stop to a rise in anti-social behaviour on licensed premises, with WA's Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan saying that individualised drinker bans are in response to community sentiment against blanket provisions that target everyone.

Similar legislation also exists in Victoria, NSW, and the NT.

The AHA supports the legislation, claiming that it’s a significant initiative that targets a small group of individuals who cause the majority of problems.  I’m thinking the industry would also be supportive, given that these kinds of strategies have little effect on sales of alcohol and puts responsibility back on the consumer.

However, others have criticised the move, saying that strategies that target individual drinkers do not address the cause of the problem, which is binge drinking.

Another concern is that such strategies could be misused and may result in discrimination.

And finally, do individual bans serve only to displace people and problems?

There’s very little evidence to support individual bans as a strategy. In conjunction with population based measures, however…well, we’ll just have to wait and see.

Until next week,

Sarah Jaggard
Community Mobilisation Policy Officer

On the 16th January, the media stated that the Federal Government was refusing to release a two-year-old report that shows children are drinking at alarmingly young ages. The Australian Secondary School Students Alcohol and Drugs Survey has been publicly released by successive governments for the past 25 years, but apparently Health Minister Nicola Roxon will not release the 2008 report

Then – viola! – on the 18 January, I received a media release stating that ASSAD 2008 (tellingly dated September 2009) had been released by the Acting Minister for Health and Ageing.

Key points (courtesy of my colleague Anna):

• 8 out of 10 students have tried alcohol at least once and 61% had consumed alcohol in the 12months prior to the survey (23% in the week prior).
• Consumption frequency increases with age.
• In past week, just under 20% of 17 y.o. had consumed alcohol at risky levels (>=7 standard drinks).
• The proportion of students drinking has dropped compared to 2005 and 2002, but there has been no change in the proportion of current drinkers drinking at risky levels.
   

I just registered for FebFast! I remember the trepidation that I felt last year when I signed up – would I be able to last a month? What would I do when everyone else was drinking? Well, I did it, and successfully too. At the beginning I found it a little bit awkward, and little bit confronting, and to be honest, a little bit boring. But in retrospect (always a marvellous thing) it was one of the best months of my life. I saved money, I lost weight, I slept like a log every night, and I felt just the tiniest bit smug when my friends fell off the FebFast wagon, one by one.

You too can have to best month of your life!

Register for FebFast now

It’s getting closer!! Draft program to be released soon!

Don’t forget, Early Bird Registration closes March 31, 2011.

For further information on the 6DYP, please visit the Australian Drug Foundation. Queries can be directed to the Program Coordinator, via email or phone 03 9645 6311

Beer, wine next in line for nutrition labels
Sydney Morning Herald, 16 January 2011
Alcohol companies could be forced to display nutritional information and list ingredients on packaging for beer, wine and spirits as part of an overhaul of labelling laws being considered by the federal government.

Is cider the next alcopop?
Perth Now, 14 January 2011
More and more people are heading to the bar and coming back with a cider.  England's signature drink has become the new beer in Australian watering holes, heralding a shift in traditional beverage sales.

Operation Octopus targets drink-drivers over next three weekends
Perth Now, 14 January 2011
WA Police will saturate freeways, major roads and quiet suburban streets across the State during the next three weekends in a campaign targeting drink-driving.
Police Minister Rob Johnson and Police Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan today launched Operation Octopus, which will begin tonight and run until the end of the month.

Unruly drinkers face bans from bars and pubs
ABC News, 14 January 2011
Concerns are being expressed about the introduction of barring notices at licensed venues from next week.  From Monday, police officers across the state will have the power to ban patrons from licensed venues for up to one year if they behave in a disorderly or violent way.

Misguided reliance on a single solution
The Australian, 15 January 2011
One policy has survived the downgraded intervention: income management. The overwhelming difficulties of changing the economic realities of the remote world become starker with each passing month.