Alcohol use may increase the risk of COVID-19 infection and of its severe complications while also causing other medical and social problems that burden healthcare and other services.

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The Art of Community Alcohol Management – Preventing Harms Kit

Some of the benefits to local governments delivering the alcohol prevention actions outlined in The How to Guide include:

• Fewer alcohol-related risks and liabilities, waste collection and cleaning, complaints (e.g. noise, antisocial behaviour), alcohol-related crime (e.g. physical and sexual assault, property damage)
• Changing social and cultural norms to promote activities that do not feature alcohol consumption as a central component
• Cost savings (e.g. property damage, insurance costs and legal costs associated with alcohol-related injuries) and sharing resources and improved revenue for council (e.g. through application process, festival sponsorship)
• Legislative compliance. 

 To protect my sobriety, I had to stop doing these three things.

• Being Around Alcohol
• Debating Myself
• Not Asking for Help.

Exploring Sobriety – Medium Jan 2021

Doctors, police slam planned reform POLICE and doctors have slammed the Andrews government for announcing a plan to scrap public drunkenness laws without any detail on how violent cases will be managed.

The report says police should be used as a “last resort” when dealing with drunks with low-level cases sent home or to friends with the help of health services. High-level cases should be taken to hospital.

It also recommends “strict limits to police powers” be introduced.

AMA Victoria president Julian Rait said the changes would have to be managed carefully to ensure emergency departments weren’t overwhelmed , given doctors were already dealing with growing mental health cases.

Mr Gatt said police feared they would be used as a “taxi service” without adequate funding, however, with the government’s promised $16 million for trials falling short.

“Who will respond to triple-0 calls for assistance from the community when intoxicated people are putting them at risk?” he said.

“For decades police have fought to remove alcohol-fuelled violence from our streets. We cannot compromise on this work by making rash decisions .”

Victoria’s Aboriginal Executive Council chair Esme Bamblett said police would soon be “free” from enforcing an “antiquated harmful law”

— under which an average of 8269 people a year are charged — and that the public stood ready to “build the health and support response for vulnerable intoxicated people” .

“We will spend the next two years working closely with Aboriginal communities, health experts and other stakeholders, including police, to address any concerns and ensure the public health model provides the care and support required.

“This includes establishing trial sites that will be tested and evaluated before the repeal takes effect.”

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