Open letter on Northern Territory Alcohol Policy October 2024: Putting the health, wellbeing and safety of Territorians first

Dear Chief Minister the Hon Lia Finocchiaro,

We are writing to urge you to put the health, wellbeing and safety of Territorians first, by keeping in place measures that work to reduce harms from alcohol.  

Alcohol causes a great deal of harm to far too many Territorians. Measures that control the availability and accessibility of alcohol, like the Minimum Unit Price and reduced trading hours for alcohol outlets have proven to reduce harm, which has been proven to save lives.  

As leaders of health, community, Aboriginal and research organisations, we see the impact of effective alcohol policies in keeping our communities safe, and we strongly oppose any moves to remove these policies.  

If these policies are removed or relaxed, we know we will see increases in violence against women and children, more people hospitalised because of chronic diseases and more deaths.  

Please engage with us, listen to us and consult with communities who experience firsthand the impact of alcohol on our families.  

We know all too well what happens when decisions are quickly made without community engagement and consideration of the evidence.  

As you know from July 2022 to early 2023, restricted area legislative provisions were allowed to lapse across the Northern Territory despite warnings from community leaders of the increased harm that this would cause, and the result was a very significant increase in violence and other harm, especially to women.  

At the recent National Cabinet meeting, alongside the Prime Minister and all First Ministers you acknowledged the role of alcohol in exacerbating violence against women and children and committed to reviewing alcohol laws and their impact on victim-survivors of family violence.  

Your government’s consideration of the removal of Minimum Unit Pricing will not make women and children in the Northern Territory safer. It will increase violence and harm. Any increase in trading hours will have a similar effect.  

We urge you to abandon any plans to remove or relax these policies, and to prioritise the health, wellbeing and safety of families and communities.

Signed,

Dalgarno Institute (Source: FARE)

See Also:

Warnings of NT 'rivers of grog' as minimum alcohol price abolished _ The Australian

Open Letter to NT Gov - 16 October 2024

MEDIA RELEASE NT Open Letter

A recent study published in The Lancet has investigated the effectiveness of alcohol health-warning labels in increasing public awareness about the link between alcohol consumption and cancer. Conducted across 14 European countries, the online survey included 19,110 participants who consumed alcohol. They were randomly assigned to one of six label conditions to assess how different messages and formats affected their knowledge and perceptions.

The findings revealed that roughly a third of participants exposed to labels linking alcohol to cancer increased their awareness of the cancer risk. Specifically, labels featuring text-only messages, pictograms, and graphic images all significantly raised knowledge levels compared to a control group. Labels focusing on cancer risks were perceived as having the highest impact and relevance, with text-only and pictogram labels seen as clear and acceptable. However, labels with graphic images had lower acceptability and higher avoidance rates. Interestingly, women rated cancer labels as more comprehensible and acceptable than men.

(Source: Lancet – WRD News)

The increasing popularity of zero-alcohol beverages among teenagers has raised significant concerns about the potential normalisation of alcohol consumption. A world-first Australian study, led by Leon Booth from the George Institute for Global Health and commissioned by the Cancer Council, highlights the potential risks these products pose to adolescent health and calls for stricter regulations. This comprehensive article delves into the study’s findings, expert opinions, and the broader implications for public health.

Appeal and Consumption Patterns Among Teenagers

Study Findings

A national survey involving 679 Australian teenagers aged 15 to 17 and focus group discussions with 44 teenagers revealed that more than half of the participants found zero-alcohol-branded products appealing. According to Dr. Booth, “More than a third had tried zero-alcohol products, and we found that they were really quite attractive to a large proportion of adolescents.” The study indicates that these products are making young people more familiar with alcohol brands and further normalising alcohol consumption.

• Gender Differences: The study found gender-specific preferences, with males tending to prefer the look of zero-alcohol beers, while female participants were more attracted to colourful cocktail drinks.
• Curiosity and Accessibility: Teenagers reported purchasing these drinks out of curiosity to learn what beer, wine, or spirits taste like. The ease of access and wide availability of these products in supermarkets have made them more attractive to young consumers.

Health Experts’ Concerns

Normalisation and Behavioral Conditioning

The Cancer Council and the Alcohol and Drug Foundation have expressed concerns that zero-alcohol products might condition teenagers into a harmful drinking culture. Julia Stafford, deputy chair of the Cancer Council’s Nutrition, Alcohol and Physical Activity Committee, emphasised that “there are currently no standards limiting the ways they simulate alcoholic products, or restrictions on marketing or sales, meaning young people can purchase these products and are exposed to marketing in highly visible places such as supermarkets.”

Eleanor Costello, evidence manager at the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, added that while these products help adults substitute alcoholic drinks, they could lead to behavioural conditioning in young people. “We’re concerned about how these products mimic alcohol in the way they look, taste, and are marketed, and that behavioural conditioning of young people,” she said.

Calls for Regulation

Federal Government’s Role

The Cancer Council and the Alcohol and Drug Foundation are calling on the federal government to regulate how zero-alcohol products are marketed and sold. They argue that this environment creates a public health risk for young Australians, necessitating immediate regulatory action.

A spokesperson for the federal Department of Health stated that the government is providing more than $870 million over four years to support drug and alcohol treatment services, prevention, research, and communication activities. However, experts argue that more stringent regulations specific to zero-alcohol products are required.

Perspectives from Regional Australia

Teenagers’ Views on Zero-Alcohol Products

While the national survey focused on urban teenagers, insights from regional Australia provide additional context. Zelda Edwards, an 18-year-old from Berri in South Australia’s Riverland, expressed limited interest in zero-alcohol products, citing their high prices. “There are some colourful ones, and ones with little animals like penguins on them that could be appealing,” she said. “But I think they’re priced quite ridiculously … I’m not wasting my money on that when I’d rather buy Monster [energy drink] instead.”

Li Ingle, who works at the rural youth arts organisation Riverland Youth Theatre, noted that teenagers in their community are more interested in energy drinks than zero-alcohol products. “Their vice is energy drinks,” Ingle said. “If it’s got guarana or caffeine, that’s what they’re going to go for.”

Broader Implications for Public Health

Marketing and Availability

The variety and availability of zero-alcohol drinks have significantly increased in recent years, with more than 30% of all consumers buying no-alcohol beer, cider, wines, spirits, and ready-to-drinks in 2022. This trend raises questions about the potential long-term effects on the drinking habits of future generations.

Expert Recommendations

Experts recommend that zero-alcohol products be sold in licensed bottle shops rather than supermarkets to limit young people’s exposure. They also call for stricter advertising regulations to prevent these products from mimicking alcoholic beverages too closely.

Source WRDNews

Recent research published in JAMA Network Open explores the association of in utero exposure to alcohol (PAE) and tobacco (PTE) with brain activity during childhood. This comprehensive cohort study examines how prenatal exposures impact EEG measurements in children aged 4 to 11 years, reinforcing public health messages about the risks of alcohol and tobacco consumption during pregnancy.

The findings from this study underscore the significant impact that prenatal exposure to alcohol and tobacco can have on brain development, as evidenced by alterations in EEG activity during early and middle childhood. These results highlight the importance of avoiding alcohol and tobacco consumption during pregnancy to promote healthier neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring.

Update

Exposure to images of alcoholic beverages and social contexts on alcohol cravings, motivations, attitudes, approval, and behaviour - A cue reactivity experiment

• The randomized experiment tested image cues of beverages on alcoholic outcomes.
• Social drinking compared to beverage-only condition caused stronger alcohol cravings.
• Visual cues depicting social drinking triggered alcohol-related outcomes.
• Exposing people to alcoholic beverage cues can impact alcohol-related cravings and outcomes.
• The study helps to understand the social mechanisms for people’s reactivity to alcohol. (Source: Science Direct)

And Big Alcohol not only know this but trade off it!

Also see: Drinking Harder When Ya Happy – If the Environment Promotes Young Adult Bingeing?