Our Greatest Drug of Abuse
With the report being presented to Parliament of the Drug Injecting Room, most people think of heroin as the greatest drug of abuse in Australia. It isn’t. The main centres where our most dangerous drug of abuse enters the blood stream is not in the Injecting Room in Kings Cross, but in the bars and lounges of your local club and pub. Alcohol is Australia’s greatest drug of abuse with the worst record of death and horrendous community cost.
In Australia, alcohol use has long been associated with relaxation and enjoyment. But on the other side of the coin, many Australians face the tragic consequences of its abuse. Violence in the home, loss of income, death and disease, reduced public amenity and family breakdown can be the result of excessive drinking.
I congratulate the State Government for planning, from 26 – 29 August 2003, the NSW Alcohol Summit at Parliament House in Sydney.
The Summit will bring together alcohol experts, families, industry, representatives of interest groups, community leaders and Members of Parliament to examine existing approaches to alcohol abuse.
The Summit will examine solutions and provide a strong platform for moving forward.
The success of the Alcohol Summit will rely on participation from all sides of politics, and the community, so we can come up with practical solutions. Like the Drug Summit, this will be a call to individual and community action.
The participants will discuss the latest information on alcohol abuse. It will also provide an opportunity to gather community views to assist discussions and deliberations at the Summit.
The Summit will be co-Chaired by former Federal Health Minister, the Hon Dr Neal Blewett and former NSW Opposition Leader, the Mrs Kerry Chikarovski.
Why is alcohol misuse such an important issue?
Problem drinking can lead to alcohol related harm. This harm may include health problems, injury, loss of income, violence and family breakdown and death to other people through road accidents and alcohol induce homocide.
Summit Working Groups will look at current strategies and programs, consider what works and what doesn’t, and make recommendations for future action.
The Government will respond to the recommendations of the various Working Groups and Panels with an action plan. Are there other ways to be involved? There are a number of ways in which people and organisations not attending the Summit can contribute to the Summit’s agenda:
Organisations and individuals are invited to make written submissions for consideration at the Summit. You can provide comments to your local Member of Parliament. You can attend proceedings in the Legislative Council gallery or watch proceedings in the Auditorium. You can participate in discussion on the Alcohol Summit website Bulletin Board.
There will be 10 key working groups made up of MPs and community representatives. The working groups deal with:
1. Informing and Engaging the Community including safe drinking levels and responsible consumption; the health, social and legal consequences of alcohol abuse; examining the role of social marketing campaigns; examining the role of the media;
2. Preventing Abuse and Harm including be restricted to alcohol as a rite of passage; relationship between alcohol and sport; role modelling behaviours;
3. Alcohol Dependence, Disease and Treatment including preventing alcohol-related diseases, including cancer; treatment for people with alcohol problems; improving treatment options.
4. Effective Systems for Monitoring, Health Care and Service Delivery; including but not be restricted to: managing older people with specific needs for conditions such as dementia, gout, diabetes, coronary heart disease, cancer; case management approaches to ensure better coordination of services for people with multiple needs, such as housing, mental health services, employment and polydrug use requirements.
5. Alcohol Related Injury and Trauma; including reducing work place injury and loss of productivity; alcohol related accidents, falls, drowning, alcohol related road accidents and trauma, and presentations to Emergency Departments.
6. Family Health and Wellbeing; including the prevalence of drinking amongst pregnant women and women planning pregnancy; family breakdown and homelessness;
7. Workforce Development and Infrastructure including education and training for specialists and those working to prevent harm; and improving the expertise of health care professionals, general practitioners, non-professionals and volunteers, law enforcement and criminal justice professionals;
8. Alcohol-Related Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour including reducing alcohol-related crime, including criminal assaults and public order offences; reducing the levels of domestic violence caused by harmful drinking; child abuse and violence against women;
9. Alcohol and the Justice System including alcohol management plans for Aboriginal communities; reducing alcohol related recidivism and examine court related diversion options for offenders with alcohol abuse problems;
10. Responsible Supply and Consumption including marketing; responsible service; operation of licensed venues.
You could be part of these working groups.
Alcohol is Australia’s most dangerous, costly drug of abuse which we promote, advertise, and sell legally.
This Alcohol Summit is a good opportunity to take a good look at this drug and to really consider the consequences of our actions when we drink and do not think.
This is GORDON MOYES.
