Slow to act on alcohol action plan

Action Plan announced in 2008 still not released
Meanwhile risky alcohol use continues to affect all levels of our society from family violence to road casualties and deaths, hospitalizations, homelessness and child protection
With Police catching 13 drink-drivers a day in Tasmania, we need to act swiftly to reduce the toll that alcohol is taking through every level of our community.
The development of an Alcohol Action Plan for Tasmania appears to have stalled, like most other reforms under the tired, stale 11-year-old State Labor Government.

The Action Plan was first announced by Health Minister, Lara Giddings, in April 2008.

In May 2009, Tasmanians were invited to have a say on a draft Tasmanian Alcohol Action Plan.

The consultation period closed at the end of June, but no Action Plan has been seen by the community.

The Minister came to the Health portfolio in 2006 telling Tasmanians that her Government and the community must “work together to address the devastating social impacts of alcohol abuse”.

Three years later, there is no alcohol action plan and DHHS own statistics show that in 2007-08–

· 1194 family violence offenders and 552 victims reported being affected by alcohol;

· 4865 drivers exceeded prescribed alcohol limits;

· Alcohol is a factor in 25% of fatal crashes;

· Of the 1185 public place assaults, a significant proportion of offenders were affected by alcohol;

· 1171 people were detained in custody for drunkenness and 266 detained due to the level of intoxication;

· The proportion of Tasmanian adults drinking at high risk levels has doubled over the last 10 years in Tasmania;

· Rates of death caused by alcohol in young people (aged 15-24) was the third highest of all States/Territories at 1.2 per 10,000 population;

· Alcohol was implicated in 41 serious casualties (31.1%) of drivers aged 17-29 – the majority (51%) involved young people under 21 years.

· Tasmania has the highest proportion of young people who drink alcohol at risky or high levels (19.8%) against national average of 15.3%.

These statistics are harrowing enough to warrant urgent action, not Labor’s usual snail-pace reform, and service providers and the community are right to ask where the Plan is?

The consultation draft provides a clear way forward and contains some worthwhile initiatives.

However, with many of the draft’s recommendations calling for further review and investigation, the path to decisive action could still be some time.

I would call today on the reluctant Minister for Health to release the finished Plan and work harder in her portfolio to see deliver real outcomes for Tasmanians, families and communities being impacted every day by alcohol misuse.
Will Hodgman