NATIONAL
LIQUOR NEWS – September 2005
Indicators
of Alcohol Consumption Amongst Young People by Gordon Broderick
In this column over previous months DSICA has looked at the issue
of ‘evidence based policy making’ with respect to alcohol
policy formation. In particular, DSICA has examined the issue of underage
drinking against the best available evidence.
Evidence based policy making is not just something that DSICA is advocating,
it is being put forward as the best possible framework for alcohol policy
formation by the Commonwealth in its National
Drug Strategy 2004-2009.
This strategy endorses the public policy position that:
“wherever possible, all supply-reduction,
demand-reduction and harm-reduction strategies should reflect practices
that are informed by evidence derived from rigorous research [and]
critical evaluation”.
This approach is also supported by the States
who at the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategies (MCDS) in November
2004 endorsed the Strategy as providing a framework for a coordinated,
integrated response to drug-related harm in Australia over the next
6 years.
A key element of the National Drug Strategy 2004-2009 will be the National
Alcohol Strategy 2005-2009.
The National Alcohol Strategy is currently being written. As part of
this process a Consultation Paper was circulated for public comment
in April 2005. A draft strategy document will be prepared, issued for
further public consultation, and then finalised by the MCDS in November
2005. The alcohol industry is also represented on the Project Management
Group overseeing the development of the Alcohol Strategy.
The strategy’s Consultation Paper identifies young people as a
vulnerable group in our society and recommends possible areas for attention,
including community engagement and coordination in alcohol specific
and other general programs (including evidence-based schools programs)
and harm reduction skills and strategies for young people who use alcohol.
DSICA generally supports the areas identified in the Consultation Paper
for possible attention, however, how do we measure the success or otherwise
of the National Alcohol Strategy 2005-2009?
To assist alcohol policy makers to objectively measure underage drinking
patterns, DSICA has developed a policy tool, Indicators of Alcohol Consumption
Amongst Young People. These indicators were developed with the assistance
of Professor Ian McAllister (ANU) to draw together the best available
data on underage drinking.
The Indicators of Alcohol Consumption Amongst Young People examine key
variables for underage drinking. These include drinking prevalence,
numbers of high risk drinkers and age of alcohol initiation.
Some key results shown in the Indicators of Alcohol Consumption Amongst
Young People include a 5% reduction in the number of standard drinks
consumed by risky and high risk female drinkers, and a 46% decline in
alcohol attributable deaths amongst 14-17 year females.
DSICA has submitted the Indicators of Alcohol
Consumption Amongst Young People to the team writing the National Alcohol
Strategy 2005-2009 and also to the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into
Strategies to Reduces Harmful Alcohol Consumption. DSICA has stressed
the need of using the best available evidence in an objective framework
to evaluate programs and strategies.
DSICA looks forward to working with the Government and other stakeholders
over the coming months to come up with a National Alcohol Strategy that
delivers the best outcomes for the community.
