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Indigenous Call for a Return of Alcohol Bans
AMOS AIKMAN
The Northern Territory government’s refusal to maintain Intervention-era grog bans is undermining one of its own best measures for stopping alcohol-fuelled violence, say experts who have urged the government to rethink.
The scheme has been credited with a swift drop in alcohol fuelled and domestic violence in places such as Alice Springs.
Allowing grog bans to lapse in about 400 communities and outstations means people living there can buy booze again.
Donna Ah Chee, head of the health service Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, says her organisation’s clinics have been struggling to cope with more intoxicated patients on top of an already-crippling pandemic burden, since the alcohol rules changed on July 17.
The emergency response (dubbed the Intervention) was opposed by many Indigenous groups that were concerned about discriminatory policy. Ironically, some of those groups are at the forefront of arguing for the Intervention-era grog bans to be reinstated.
A coalition including Aboriginal Medical Alliance Services NT, National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation and the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency wrote to Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney on June 9.
In their six-page letter, they argued the provisions were “not …racist or negative discrimination”. “Rather, they are … positive and beneficial special measures in keeping with the High Court’s latest definition,” they wrote.
NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles insisted in parliament this week that her government’s decision to scrap the grog bans was based on consultation with “hundreds” of communities.
Sources in the Aboriginal community service sector denied this and said they believed the government acted on an incorrect legal interpretation.
Ms Fyles spokeswoman said her government “cannot extend a commonwealth law, nor will we support paternalistic policies which criminalise Aboriginal communities”. The government has not answered requests to provide evidence about its consultation process or to show the changes are not causing harm.
Opposition domestic violence spokesman Steve Edgington said levels of domestic violence were “unacceptably high”, up 42 per cent since 2016.
“The catastrophic increase in domestic violence across the Territory under Labor’s watch has got to stop,” he said. “Unlike Labor, we will always put the rights of victims above those of offenders. The Fyles government has failed Territorians and failed to keep them safe. In Alice Springs last week, police reported 54 cases of domestic violence over a 48-hour period.”
This is our voice: tackle grog and violence
SARAH ISON JESS MALCOLM
Remote Australia’s Aboriginal female MPs have united to demand the nation tackle domestic violence and alcoholism ravaging Indigenous communities, with Labor’s Marion
Scrymgour likening the removal of grog bans to “pulling forces out of Afghanistan”.
…Senator Price and Ms Scrymgour – who are both based in Alice Springs – were united on a tough approach to alcohol fuelled violence affecting Indigenous women in the red centre.
Ms Scrymgour, who was elected to the Northern Territory seat of Lingiari in May, said grog ban measures in place for 14 years since John Howard’s Intervention could not suddenly be
revoked with no plan on how to manage the fallout.
“When a government puts a protective regime of that kind in place, and leaves it in place for that long, you can’t just suddenly pull the pin on it without any protection, sanctuary or plan for the vulnerable women and children whom the original measure was supposed to protect,” she said in her maiden speech to the lower house.
“To do that is more than negligent – at the level of impact on actual lives it is tantamount to causing injury by omission. It’s like pulling your forces out of Afghanistan but leaving your local workers and their dependants in harm’s way on the ground without an escape plan.”
The speech came as the Territory government decided not to extend alcohol bans covering about 400 Aboriginal outstations and communities, prompting concern over a “massive”
increase in rates of violence and abuse fuelled by the abuse of alcohol. Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney is urgently seeking a meeting with Chief Minister Natasha Fyles amid concern over the lifting of the grog bans.
Senator Price began her day with her grandfather’s sister, Tess Napaljarri Ross, who has spent all week with her at parliament, with the pair participating in a traditional ceremony in the grounds of Parliament House before the maiden speech.
As she spoke emotionally of the recent murder-suicide of a young woman and her baby at the hands of the woman’s male partner in Alice Springs last week, Senator Price slammed the end of alcohol bans and said it was one of the most “appalling examples of legislation”.
She also criticised the federal government’s moves to abolish the cashless debit card.
“We see two clear examples this week over failure to listen. The news grog bans will be lifted on dry communities, allowing the scourge of alcoholism and the violence that accompanies it free reign,” she said. “Couple this with the removal of the cashless debit card that allowed countless families on welfare to feed their children rather than seeing their money claimed by kinship demands from alcoholics, substance abusers and gamblers in their own family group.”
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The study, published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, breaks down this $20 billion into:
- $1.6 billion for the child protection system due to an adult carer’s drinking;
- $560 million for alcohol related domestic violence
- almost $3 billion in lost productivity due to people having to care for a drinker.
“This is the first study to also measure the cost to those impacted by others’ drinking through alcohol-related traffic accidents, crime, violence and aggression, family hardship, caring for drinkers and their dependents, and healthcare and social services,”
Overall, the amount expended on those impacted by drinkers and their drinking is equivalent to the same amount again for those who drink, bringing the total annual bill to about $40 billion. This forensic analysis, by La Trobe University researchers, reveals the cost of everything from alcohol-related violence, car accidents, child services, impacts on quality of life and damage to property.
Complete article https://www.latrobe.edu.au/news/articles/2022/release/alcohol-bystanders-burden-revealed
(Dalgarno Institute comment: Our 160 plus years of challenging this outcome has seen such before – in fact our movement was really started as a result of these outcomes. Note to, it is the ‘legal’ drug that is causing these egregious harms. A protected and commercialized drug that has become completely engrained into the culture.
What is of even greater concern, is that pro-drug activists want to give the same carnage inducing ‘pass’ to currently illicit substances such as cannabis, cocaine, mushrooms, and crystal meth.
We know that high THC cannabis alone causes psychosis and all its accompanying chaos. The ‘Kincare’ industry in South East Queensland is ‘booming’ because of ‘Ice’ impact on parents ability to not just care for their kids, but shocking harms done to them.
The insanity of promoting ‘permission’ models for substance use cannot be overstated. It is time to #preventdontpromote and focus on the first priority pillar of the National Drug Strategy - #DemandReduction)
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This study found that consuming alcohol alone during adolescence predicts future alcohol use disorders, especially for women. This finding holds true even after controlling for other factors such as binge alcohol use, frequency of alcohol use, socioeconomic status, and gender.
The study found that about 25% of adolescents and 40% of young adults reported using alcohol alone.
The odds of having alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms at age 35 were 35% higher for adolescents who used alcohol alone and 60% higher for young adults who used alcohol alone, compared to those who consumed alcohol only in social settings.
According to previous research by Creswell and colleagues, young people mostly consume alcohol alone to cope with negative emotions. This pattern of alcohol use has consistently been linked with developing alcohol problems. Young people are now at even more risk of developing alcohol use problems since the pandemic as their anxiety and depression levels have also gone up.
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By CHLOE TAYLOR, July 16, 2022
People under the age of 40 start risking their health if they consume any more than two teaspoons of wine or two and a half tablespoons of beer per day, a new study suggests.
The analysis—part of the wider Global Burden of Disease study—was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and published in published in The Lancet medical journalmedical journal on Thursday.
It found that for young adults between the ages of 15 and 39, there were zero health benefits—only risks—associated with drinking alcohol.
Researchers said that for people aged between 15 and 39, the recommended amount of alcohol that could be consumed before risking their health was “a little more than one-tenth of a standard drink.”
They defined a standard drink as 3.4 fluid ounces of red wine or 12 fluid ounces of beer.
By this definition, the study’s findings suggested that alcohol stops being “safe” to consume for under-40s after around two teaspoons of red wine or two and a half tablespoons of beer.
The Global Burden of Disease study is massive in scope. It has been ongoing since 1990 and uses data from 204 countries and territories, and is described in the Lancet as "the most comprehensive effort to date to understand the changing health challenges around the world.
The study echoes findings from some earlier studies that have suggested there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Last year, an Oxford University study of more than 25,000 people found that there was “no safe dose of alcohol” when it came to brain health.
“Our message is simple: Young people should not drink…” Dr. Emmanuela Gakidou
Also see
- Poor Representatives in Alcohol Cohorts: The Nail in the Coffin of the ‘Heart Health Benefits’ of Moderate Drinking? click here
- No Amount of Alcohol Use is ‘Safe’ click here
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Linda's son bought 11 bottles of vodka in his final 10 days. She's now pushing for changes to liquor licensing laws 22 Jun 2022
"We've got this massive drinking culture, just like America's got the gun culture, but we don't see it the same…But how many are we losing to that culture? And we're letting it happen. "We'll say, 'America, put down your guns'; here, we're not prepared to change at all, we're not prepared to put down our beers or our vodkas because there's too much money involved."
The mother of a Melbourne man who died of alcohol toxicity is pushing for changes to liquor licensing laws and for greater scrutiny for people who sell alcohol to problem drinkers.
Key points:
- In Victoria, liquor licensing laws are supposed to stop bars and bottle shops from serving anyone who is intoxicated
- There are fewer than 50 inspectors monitoring almost 25,000 licensed venues across Victoria
- There was an almost 30 per cent increase in alcohol retail sales from 2019 to 2021
Ms Smart claims he was intoxicated when he made the purchase, and not for the first time.
"He was very, very drunk. He came home with a bottle," she told 7.30.
"I said to him, 'Ashley, why? Why did you buy it?' And he says, 'Mum, they sell it to me. They don't care.'
"And I left him about half past four. And he turned his computer off at six o'clock and he never woke up."
She found him in his flat days later.
"He hadn't been in touch. I was worried. I had my father's funeral on Thursday. And on Friday morning, I rushed to Ashley's place because I was worried," Ms Smart said.
"And he'd been there four days."
Linda Smart's son Ashley was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.(Supplied)
In Victoria, liquor licensing laws are supposed to stop bars and bottle shops from serving anyone who is intoxicated, which Ms Smart said her son would have been most days.
"He was never ever refused service of alcohol, right up until the day he bought a bottle the day he died," she said.
"I watched him being sold alcohol on many occasions drunk, and I couldn't intervene and ask them to stop selling."
While the law seems clear, enforcement is nearly impossible.
The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission told Ms Smart that in order to reach the burden of proof, it is "best practice" for one of its inspectors to witness the intoxicated person being served — a huge hurdle with fewer than 50 inspectors monitoring almost 25,000 licensed venues.
They instead reviewed the CCTV footage of Ashley's final purchase, which had no sound, and said he did not look drunk.
In the 10 days leading up to his death, Ashley Smart bought 11 bottles of vodka.(Supplied)
The inspector told Ms Smart he would recommend a change to the law be considered to include selling alcohol to people with substance abuse issues.
In a statement, commission chair Fran Thorn said they conducted a comprehensive review.
"As our investigation involves sensitive information, we are unable to share publicly any detailed information about the investigation," the statement said.
"However, we were unable to establish a breach of the Act based on the available evidence."
Liquorland said it was unable to comment on the case, but said it was committed to the responsible service of alcohol.
"All our store team members undertake industry-leading training in the responsible service of alcohol," the retailer told 7.30.
Alcohol industry 'exploited the pandemic as a marketing opportunity'
Like many, COVID-19 hit Ashley Smart hard, exacerbating his mental health issues and his problem drinking.
He was not alone — the pandemic had significant impacts on Australians' drinking habits.
One study found that in 2021, the number of Australians drinking alcohol hit its highest level in five years and bottle shops were reaping the benefits.
There was almost a 30 per cent increase in alcohol retail sales between 2019 and 2021 and along with it, jumps in alcohol-related ambulance callouts and alcohol-induced deaths.
Alcohol Change Victoria's Sarah Jackson said the alcohol industry exploited the pandemic as a marketing opportunity.
"They had this captive audience of people at home in isolation and we saw quite predatory marketing, quite explicit messaging encouraging people to turn to alcohol as a way to survive and cope," she told 7.30.
"And we're still seeing the really devastating fallouts of that."
Ms Jackson believes the regulator needs more powers and funding to better protect problem drinkers.
"We need the regulator to be much, much better resourced, much more funding, and an increase in that manpower," she told 7.30.
"We also need more meaningful sanctions; a real risk that someone who supplies alcohol to someone who is intoxicated might lose their license or might have their license suspended."
At the moment, there is nothing to stop anyone from selling alcohol to an alcoholic.
Ms Jackson said one of the problems is that the High Court has held there is no general duty of care owed by a licensee to its customers.
"We think that legislation should introduce a duty of care so that a licensee has to take reasonable steps to prevent harm to its customers," she said.
In a statement, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulation Melissa Horne said Victorians could be assured the regulator was appropriately resourced and the laws were adequate to minimise harm from alcohol.
"We've introduced — and continue to introduce — strong harm minimisation to reduce liquor-related harm for all Victorians, including strengthening the licence application process for large packaged liquor outlets, strengthening the requirements related to online sales and delivery of alcohol, and expanding the definition of alcohol-related harm," the statement said.
Last October, the New South Wales liquor regulator announced it was investigating popular alcohol delivery service Jimmy Brings over the death of a 49-year-old man who reportedly spent $24,000 with the company over three years, including daily orders in the weeks leading up to his death.
The NSW regulator has now confirmed to 7.30 it was unable to identify any breaches of the liquor laws at the time and has closed the investigation, but the laws have since been strengthened.
Ms Jackson said more needed to be done to regulate online sales and delivery of alcohol, including a mandatory delay between the order and delivery to stop impulsive purchases.
"At the moment, deliveries can happen in under 30 minutes, and that means that if people are already intoxicated it enables them to continue that drinking session and it's placing people who are high-risk drinkers at risk of harm," she said.
Australia's drinking culture 'just like America's gun culture'
It is now 18 months since her son died, and Ms Smart wants to convert her grief and anger into action.
Linda Smart wants to convert her grief and anger into action.(Supplied)
She wants more controls within the liquor industry and a rethink of Australia's attitude to drinking.
"We've got this massive drinking culture, just like America's got the gun culture, but we don't see it the same…But how many are we losing to that culture? And we're letting it happen. “We’ll say, 'America, put down your guns'; here, we're not prepared to change at all, we're not prepared to put down our beers or our vodkas because there's too much money involved."
Linda's son bought 11 bottles of vodka in his final 10 days ABC News