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  • WA Parents, beware of Serving alcohol to Minors

    Now more than ever it seems young people in WA are being faced with alcohol related problems stemming from binge drinking. Teenagers are drinking with the intent to get drunk and are starting at an even younger age than ever before. We are living in a society where young people have more freedom than ever before, more money than ever before and more access to alcohol and drugs than ever before which is part of the problem.

    Parents have been identified as one of the key contributors to teenagers drinking behaviour. Children often mimic the behaviour they see in their parents and some parents believe it is better to provide their children and their friends with alcohol rather than have them drinking on the sly.

    But now adults in Western Australia could soon be facing charges for supplying alcohol to minors if a new bill introduced by WA Labour is passed. The bill relates to the supply of alcohol to a minor on unlicensed premises. The law would make it illegal to provide a youth with alcohol without their parent/guardian’s consent. It is different from current law under which it is illegal for young people under 18 years of age to purchase alcohol at licensed premises.

    This post on Bunburymail.com.au explains:

    Collie-Preston MLA Mick Murray said this week that the Opposition introduced the Liquor Control Amendment Bill to protect children from consuming alcohol on unlicensed premises, such as private parties.

    The bill, if passed, would make illegal the supply of alcohol to a juvenile on unlicensed premises.

    The law would also force a person to obtain the juvenile’s parent or guardian’s permission to supply liquor to that juvenile on unlicensed premises.

    “Existing laws make it illegal for anyone under the age of 18 years to purchase alcohol at licensed premises,” Mr Murray said.

    “However, no laws currently exist to prevent a person over the age of 18 from supplying alcohol to a juvenile on unlicensed premises, such as at a house party.

    “We need to close the loopholes that give children access to alcohol, often without their parents’ consent.”

    Mr Murray said the Opposition wanted to make people who supplied alcohol to minors accountable for their actions.

    “They will place the onus on parents and guardians to be responsible, to ensure their children and those children in their care, drink responsibly or not at all.”

    Source: http://www.bunburymail.com.au/story/1577483/adults-could-face-charges-for-supplying-alcohol-to-minors/?cs=12

    Experts suggest that parents of teenagers abide by a few rules when it comes to alcohol:

    • Talk with teenagers about the family’s history of alcohol or drug use. There’s a genetic component to alcoholism and teens should know if they’re at greater risk of problems.
    • Give your children one-on-one time with the doctor so that they can learn about the physical effect alcohol may be having on their bodies from a professional rather than just from a “nagging” parent.
    • Set a firm policy: No alcohol, drugs, or tobacco until the legal drinking age of 18.
    • Never host a teenage party with drugs or alcohol. The liability is potentially enormous if one of those kids goes out and kills himself or others and who would want that on their conscience, not to mention the effect that would have on your teen.
    • Show your kids how to use alcohol responsibly by example – you can have a beer or two but don’t get drunk.

     

  • Teen Drinking still High despite Alcopop Tax

    Since the 2009 tax increase on alcopops many expected the number of school kids consuming alcohol to drop but contrary to people’s expectation a study of hospital admissions in the Illawarra’s most popular schoolies destination, The Gold Coast has shown zero reduction in alcohol-related harm.

    According to a team of researchers for the University of Queensland who studied the hospital records from Queensland hospitals, emergency and trauma departments they did not see any positive impact of the alcopop tax increase on the number of teen alcohol admissions.

    The group investigated hospital records to evaluate whether the increase in alcopop tax had any effect at all on the number of 15-29 year olds coming in to hospital with alcohol-related harm and injuries such as alcohol poisoning, injuries from assaults, fights, falls, accidents etc. between2006-2009.

    This excerpt from www.illawarramercury.com.au provides some background information:

    In 2008, the Federal Government increased the excises on pre-mixed alcoholic drinks, commonly known as alcopops, by 70%.

    Although Australians have paid $4.5 billion in alcopops taxes since 2008/09, there has been no significant decrease in young people presenting with alcohol-related harm after the tax increase.

    These results should come as no surprise to people who remember what they were like as teenagers, or are the current parents of teenagers. Raising the price of just one type of drink may not reduce alcohol-related harm, especially in tourist destinations such as the Gold Coast. Young people may be merely switching to cheaper, and potentially, more potent, alcoholic drinks.

    Their response when they go to a bottle shop and find their favourite alcopops tipple has doubled in price is unlikely to be that they will go home and retire to bed with a mug of hot chocolate.

    Read more: http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/1573382/blog-alcopop-tax-fails-to-cut-teen-drinking/?cs=298

    According to the Illwarramercury.com.au many drinkers have simply switched from premixed drinks such as rum and coke to pure spirits since the introduction of the tax. Consumption of pre-mixed drinks fell 31 per cent between 2008 and 2011 but pure spirits consumption increased by 20 per cent over the same period, according to data from The Australian Bureau of Standards.

    The study also found that around one third of the young people between 15 and 29 years that were admitted to emergency departments around the state had an alcohol related injury or illness as compared to about a quarter for people from all other age groups combined.

    The article went on to discuss another study that looked into the patterns of males and females under 19 years old at the Gold Coast. That study showed that other efforts to reduce binge drinking amongst this age group on the Gold Coast were ineffective including increased policing, holding official drug-free and alcohol-free events – so the increase in alcopop tax was not the only ineffective control measure introduced.

    The article goes on to explain:

    This again suggests the need for a more comprehensive approach to binge drinking among young people.  Such an approach would include a volumetric tax on all alcoholic drinks, incentives to encourage mid-strength and low-strength beer, restrictions on the availability of drinks with a high alcohol content, more effective regulation of advertising and reducing the number of outlets. In the Gold Coast, for instance, there is practically a bottle shop on every street corner.

    Considering the current attention on risky drinking for young people, these results are important and point to the need to look more broadly at the alcopops legislation and other initiatives to reduce alcohol-related harm.

    Source: http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/1573382/blog-alcopop-tax-fails-to-cut-teen-drinking/?cs=298

    One thing that this article makes perfectly clear is that alcohol education is the most important thing in equipping teenagers to become responsible drinkers and have a healthy relationship with alcohol – and that education begins at home. If parents don’t lay the good foundation the chances are all other attempts by authorities to combat this disturbing trend are likely to fail.

     

  • Safe Drinking Checklist

    A lot of people vilify alcohol because of the alcohol fuelled problems we see and read about every day in the news but the truth is alcohol is valuable to society for many reasons. Beside the social benefits (alcohol helps people unwind, relax, distress and socialize better), it boosts the economy and provides countless numbers of people with employment however like every good thing there is always room for abuse.

    There are some people who use alcohol to cope with their problems, others have addictive personalities and others are influenced into dangerous drinking habits by peer pressure and social circumstances, the problem is not alcohol but people’s unhealthy approach to alcohol.

    This is one of the reasons why the Australian government implemented Responsible Service of Alcohol legislature, to negate the negative impact of drinking on society by controlling the sale of alcohol.

    Drinkers need to ensure that they keep their drinking habits under control, these are some of the guidelines for safe drinking

    There is no level of drinking alcohol that can be guaranteed to be completely ‘safe’ or ‘have no risk’ because everyone’s makeup is different, therefore everyone’s tolerance levels will also differ.  Alcohols effect on a person is affected by a myriad of things such as weight, gender and tolerance to alcohol. However, this checklist advises on how healthy adults can minimise the risk of short and long-term harms.

    ü  Drink no more than two standard drinks on any day, this reduces your risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury. Or drink no more than four standard drinks on a single occasion, this reduces the risk of alcohol-related injury arising from that occasion

    ü  Ensure you have safe transport home even before you begin drinking

    ü  For women who are pregnant or breastfeeding it is recommended that you abstain from alcohol completely because we do not know what a safe amount is.

    ü  People under 18 years of age also should not drink alcohol at all – it is the law.

    ü  According to FARE (Foundation for alcohol research and education), parents and carers should be advised that children under 15 years of age are at the greatest risk of harm from drinking and that for this age group, not drinking alcohol is especially important.

    ü  Have you taken any drugs, illicit or prescription? If so it’s best to steer clear of alcohol because you cannot be sure of the reaction that will occur when you combine the two – it could be life-threatening, directly (the reaction of chemicals could be toxic to the body) or indirectly (you could become extremely drunk and place your life in danger by drink driving etc.)

    ü  Assess your motive for drinking. Why are you drinking? If it is to get drunk then abstain from alcohol because you could be developing a problem.

    ü  Are you aware of the number of standard drinks you should consume based on your gender and the daily recommended amount? Also do you know how many standard drinks are contained in your favourite drinks? If not familiarise yourself with this to ensure you are not drinking too much.

    Keep this checklist in mind and a night out need not turn into an alcohol fuelled tragedy.

     

  • Research Links Teen Drinking to Violence

    Research by Australian Catholic University researchers indicates that there is a strong link between alcohol use during early and mid-adolescence and violence just two years later.

    According to an article on Ncah.com.au researchers, Professor Sheryl Hemphill and Dr.Kirsty Balog from the university’s school of psychology embarked on research into the longitudinal link between alcohol consumption and severe interpersonal violence among young people in Oz.

    Researchers evaluated data from 849 Victorian adolescents and discovered that alcohol use directly linked to violence in these youth’s lives. The study involved following the youths over a five year period from year seven until year 11 at secondary school as part of the International Youth Development Study – it revealed that drinking in year seven and nine led to violence two years later.

    www.ncah.com.au explains more:

    The research also discovered a bidirectional relationship between heavy episodic drinking and violence, prompting researchers to consider further investigation of the role that social and family contexts have in influencing the relationship between alcohol use and violence.

    In their report, the researchers state their findings suggest the risk processes begin in late childhood or very early adolescence, and they recommend targeting the common risk factors for alcohol and violence at this time.

    Dr Balog, who is based in Melbourne, said while previous published research had found mixed results, their research showed alcohol consumption and violent behaviours impacted on the developmental periods of early to late adolescence.

    “It’s such a problem in Australia really. Every news bulletin usually has alcohol and violence involved,” she said.

    “Our team mission is to improve the lives of young people and to understand more about those problems that we see in society and how we can improve them.”

    Source: http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/research-finds-alcohol-in-youth-predicts-violence-two-years-later/1800/

    The main researcher, Dr Balog whose background is in psychological and psycho physiological research went on to explain that the study follows on from a survey which revealed that one in five Aussies aged 14 years and older drink at risky levels, placing themselves in danger of alcohol related diseases or injury throughout their lives. The survey Dr Balog was referring to was conducted by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and was part of their National Drug Strategy Household Survey in 2011. The same survey also revealed that about two in five Aussies aged 14 years and older had a pattern of alcohol consumption that placed them at risk of alcohol related injury from a single drinking occasion at least once in the preceding year.

    The article goes on to explain:

    A Postdoctoral Research Fellow within the Senior Proven Researcher Team at the School of Psychology, Dr Balog completed her psychology undergraduate studies at Swinburne University and her PhD at the University of Western Australia.

    Dr Balog has worked on projects focusing on substance use and mental health and her upcoming research projects will investigate problem online and antisocial behaviours among youth, such as online gambling and sexting.

    Source: http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/research-finds-alcohol-in-youth-predicts-violence-two-years-later/1800/

    This research provides yet another reason why teenagers under the age of 18 should not be allowed to drink. Although it may be a practice rife in Australian teen culture, drinking can be detrimental to the development of teens not only physically and emotionally but mentally as well.

     

  • Parents Urged To Address Dangerous Drinking Culture among Youth

    A leading health expert has urged parents in Western Australia to communicate with their children better about alcohol. Now more than ever before alcohol problems and binge drinking are an issue plaguing WA youth, they are drinking from a younger age and doing so with the intention of getting drunk. Now health experts are advising parents to talk to their children about alcohol to help alleviate some of these issues.

    Apparently parents that talk to their children about alcohol can positively influence their drinking behaviour and choices, according to Mike Daube, the director of the McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth. According to Mike Daube, parents are vitally influential in their children’s lives. Parents who question how much they can really do to help their teenagers when it comes to alcohol problems should be aware that talking to your children about alcohol and drugs actually does have an impact on their behaviour.

    But the Professor warns that it isn’t only what parents say that matters, what they do is just as important. Parents need to understand that they set the most important example. If children see their parents abusing alcohol, they are likely to follow this example.

    This post from WAtoday.com.au explains:

    “There are two things that matters – it’s what parents say and do. If parents keep finding ways to talk with them and show the way by example – children will be much more likely to pay attention.”

    John Rogerson, CEO of the Australian Drug Foundation, said working with parent groups had revealed more information was needed to help parents broach the conversation.

    To mark Drug Action Week on Monday, the ADF released a new website to help parents talk openly with their children about alcohol and drugs.

    “Drugs are often still a taboo subject within families. We want to make it easier for parents to feel comfortable enough to initiate the conversation about alcohol and drugs, and feeling informed is a big part of that,” Mr Rogerson said.

    Professor Daube said WA had one of the worst youth-drinking cultures in the country, which was why it was so important for parents to be involved.

    The tip of the iceberg is that every day in WA, one child under the age of 18 years is so drunk that someone has to call an ambulance,” he said.

    Read more: http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/parents-can-change-was-dangerous-youth-drinking-culture-20130616-2oc97.html#ixzz2WScyYANJ

    The Professor goes on to warn that youths who fell under the most concerning bracket were found to be pre-loading and going out and getting drunk. Pre-loading is a problematic practice whereby people load up on alcohol at home before heading out on the town in an effort to save money and get more drunk.

    The Professor also said that the way alcohol is being advertised is promoting it to youth like never before, which is why parent’s need to take an even more active role in their children’s lives. Professor Daube said WA had a “very significant problem” when it came to underage drinking and parents need to act in order to have a positive effect on their children.

     

  • Responsible Service of Alcohol Update: Licensees Defend their Venues

    Although licenced venues often get a bad rap, as licensees insist licenced venues are not to blame for the alcohol fuelled violence filling the streets each weekend night. Brawls, attacks and assaults seem to inundate the news these days. Now a Launceston hotel owner says that licenced premises are actually amongst the safest places to visit.

    A member of the Tasmanian Hospitality Association, the licensee says that inside licensed venues are some of the safest places to enjoy alcohol, the problems occur on the streets and if these problems are alcohol-fuelled then the alcohol causing them is not being obtained at licenced premises.

    Usually the worst violent incidents occur many blocks away from licenced venues, so the blame that some people are placing on licensed venues is unwarranted, according to licensees.

    Read what one licensee had to say in defence of licenced venues recently, according to this post from www.examiner.com.au :

    Star Bar licensee Mick Acquarola, a Tasmanian Hospitality Association board member and past Launceston Liquor Accord vice chairman, said there had been no incidents at his business for “quite some time”.

    He said it was a misconception that licensed venues encouraged alcohol-related crime.

    “Incidents are happening, either at homes or away from venues,” Mr Acquarola said.

    “We have security and responsible service of alcohol procedures that we adhere to.

    “We keep our patrons safe.

    “It’s tough enough to get people out in winter time. We want to keep things positive.”

    Mr Acquarola said there was an assumption from media reports that people involved in bashings had been out drinking.

    “Incidents getting reported in the past few weeks have not been directly involved with a venue or outside the door of a venue,” he said.

    “They happen in the street, two to three blocks away, or in a suburb.”

    Source: http://www.examiner.com.au/story/1569301/alcohol-related-crime-not-fuelled-by-licensed-venues/

    The truth is that every Monday in the news we hear about the chaos that seems to erupt each weekend in entertainment districts around the country. It is true that licenced venues are some of the safest places to drink and stay safe and if we are to keep it that way it is important that licensees and their staff remember the importance of enforcing responsible service of alcohol.

    Firstly owners of licenced venues need to ensure that everyone they hire is either in possession of their RSA certificate or are in the process of obtaining it. This certificate or a copy needs to be kept on the licenced premises in case authorities call on it.

    Secondly licensees need to ensure that their employees aren’t just in possession of the RSA certificate but that they are enforcing the principles it teaches, in order to avoid alcohol fuelled misconduct and harm occurring within their venue.

    Servers of alcohol who perform their duties according to RSA regulations provide a duty of care to customers that in turn promotes job satisfaction. Workers who are serving customers responsibly are performing their duty, keeping themselves, their co-workers and their customers happy and safe.

     

  • Drinking Habits Connected with Weight

    We’ve all heard it being said that our alcohol habits are connected to our waistline, in other words the more we drink the more weight we gain, but a new study examines why certain women who drink frequently develop a “beer belly” while others can drink daily and not gain weight.

    Most drinks are a combination of carbohydrates, sugar and ethanol. The ethanol is absorbed into your bloodstream while the remainder of the drink (sugar and carbs) is processed by the body as other foods are, the normal digestive system. The alcohol or ethanol however is diverted to the liver instead and burned off quite quickly. The sugars and carbs mix with whatever else is being digested by your body and is likely to be stored as fat.

    Just as certain foods are more fattening and make you gain weight when you eat them excessively, so too alcoholic drinks with a high calorie content will have the same effect.

    Researchers therefore point out drinking is not the problem, it is how often we drink and how much we drink that is likely to contribute to our waistlines.

    An article from FoxNews.com discussed the issue at great length, here is an excerpt from that post which should shed some light on the issue:

    A 2010 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine may be the best news for booze since the 21st Amendment. Researchers found that women who had one or two alcoholic drinks a day were actually less likely to gain weight than those who shunned the sauce. And they did it while consuming more calories overall (from food and drink) than both heavy drinkers and teetotalers.

    Short of striking a deal with the devil, how did they manage to pull that off? Researchers believe that the bodies of long-term moderate drinkers somehow adapt to metabolize alcohol differently than heavy or occasional drinkers. They use more energy, burning the calories in the drink—or even more than that—while digesting it, Dr. Lu Wang, the lead researcher of the study and an instructor in medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, said.

    Read the full article: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/14/drinking-alcohol-to-shrink/#ixzz2WTMHM6y1

    So what should you do to avoid excess weight from alcoholic drinks?

    The truth is that researchers have collected data which proves that moderate drinkers actually enjoy healthier lives than teetotallers, so abstinence is not necessary, however moderation is advised.

    Never ever drink alcoholic drinks on an empty stomach and if your do intend on snacking while drinking, which is recommended, choose healthier options rather than unhealthy, greasy options which normally accompany a night of drinking such as crisps, chips, burgers and other fast foods.

    Eat a healthier dinner before you start drinking rather than drink on an empty stomach. Order or cook before you start drinking so you’re not tempted to go for the less healthy options once you start downing alcohol.

    Pace yourself by taking small sips and again don’t feel pressurized into keeping up with your friends. Drink at a pace that you are comfortable with and avoid binge drinking.

    Don’t overdo it! Binge drinking is never a good idea, for your physical health, mental health and overall wellbeing.

     

  • British Researcher Dispute Belief Moderate Pregnancy Drinking Harmful

    Women are always being told not to drink when they are pregnant and particularly in Australia there has been somewhat of a drive to educate women about the danger alcohol can pose to a developing foetus.

    That is why it seems strange that a British researcher now claims that there is no evidence to support abstinence from alcohol during pregnancy.

    According to an article on Irishtimes.com research published in the British Medical Journal’s BMJ Open online publication moderate drinking by pregnant women does not harm the development of unborn babies. This was deduced from research which evaluated around 7000 children up to the age 10. Moderate drinking for pregnant women is defined as no more than 3 to 7 glasses of alcohol a week.

    The article on Irishtimes.com goes on to explain:

    The children were drawn from a 14,000-strong group born in or around Bristol between 1992 and 1993, who have been examined frequently since birth as part of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.

    The majority of their mothers – 70 per cent — followed regular medical advice and had drunk no alcohol during pregnancy. The remaining women drank between one and two glasses a week for some and three to seven for others. A glass is defined as a British pub measure of spirits, half a pint of lager or cider, or a standard wine glass of wine.

    The ability was tested of 7,000 10-year-olds to walk on a beam and stand on one leg, with eyes open and closed.

    Curiously, the women who had drunk during and after their pregnancies had the best performing children.

    Low to moderate alcohol consumption did not seem to interfere with a child’s ability to balance, say researchers. However, income plays a role: better static balance is linked to wealth and education.

    Source: http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/moderate-drinking-not-harmful-in-pregnancy-according-to-british-researchers-1.1431164

    This study is just one on the subject, there are countless previous studies which prove that alcohol consumption, particularly excessive consumption can be seriously dangerous for the unborn, growing baby, with previous researchers claiming brain development can be heavily impacted by even a few drinks. Also it is hard to say how much alcohol is acceptable or how much it takes before the foetus is negatively affected.

    A recent article on News.com.au presented a very different view of pregnancy drinking. According to the article if children have memory impairment and struggle to follow instructions they may actually have an undiagnosed foetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

    The article suggested that younger mothers in particular seem to placing their babies at risk by binge drinking during pregnancy. More education and awareness needs to be created around the situation, especially to mothers aged 18-29 and school girls as well.

    The article also states that young women that binge drink are in fact producing a new generation of school children that have problems such as learning disabilities, lack of judgement and social skills, poor attention spans and impulsive behaviour, all of which can be detrimental to their education.

    Read the full story at: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/foetal-alcohol-syndrome-linked-to-binge-drinking-by-mums/story-e6frfkp9-1226609211264#ixzz2PaI0xwXv

    So with 2 conflicting opinions from 2 seemingly qualified sources it may be difficult to figure out whether or not to drink while pregnant. Some would prefer to err on the side of caution and abstain completely when they are pregnant whereas others would prefer to take a chance. If you agree with the British research and do decide that drinking during pregnancy is acceptable remember it is never acceptable to binge drink but especially not when you are pregnant. Only drink in moderation and never more than 3-7 glasses of alcohol a week.

     

     

  • Weekend Violence Fuelled by Alcohol

    According to an article on The Daily Telegraph website, last weekend was one filled with alcohol-fuelled violence in Sydney, describing it as “two nights of alcohol-fuelled stupidity this weekend”. And the violence was not limited to locals alone, tourists and even women were involved in the violence, some even being punched and kicked on the streets of Sydney.

    A number of victims landed in the emergency ward at St. Vincent’s Hospital for a number of injuries ranging from minor to serious injuries.

    Reporters from The Daily Telegraph spent the night shift at the hospital with emergency staff to witness the drama. According to them in the eight hours they spent at the hospital, 34 patients were admitted, 25 of which were victims of assault most likely linked to alcohol – that is 73 per cent of patients admitted.

    This excerpt was taken from the article on www.dailytelegraph.com.au

    At 1am on Saturday Professor Gordian Fulde, the head of the emergency department, said goodnight to staff on the “graveyard shift” and wished them well.

    For the first few hours all was quiet. Nurses and doctors filled in paperwork, checked medical equipment and made small talk and cups of tea.

    At the front counter two triage nurses dealt with a few minor cases.

    Then, at 3.40am a young Irishman walked in bleeding from a cut on the head.

    “This is how it starts,” said one of the nurses.

    He and two female friends were attacked on Pitt St by two men.

    “We were just standing there having a joke. Next thing I know they are bashing into me. One even hit my girlfriend. Who hits women for f … . sake?”

    About 40 minutes later the “bat phone” screams out from the centre of the room. It’s amplified and used when a particularly nasty case is on its way and all hands are needed.

    Doctors and nurses run to a counter and the phone connected to ambulance radios is put on loudspeaker. A paramedic details how a 24-year-old man has been a victim of a violent assault in Elizabeth St. “Patient has been punched three times and knocked unconscious, five minutes away.”

    The victim’s 26-year-old brother was in the ambulance behind him having had his nose smashed after the two got involved with a group of men walking down Elizabeth St.

    Read more: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/sydney-cbds-violent-side-back-on-show-as-brawls-and-alcohol-fuel-the-weekend/story-fni0cx12-1226664681078

    Dr Fulde goes on to explain that after 3am is what doctors call “red line” time because this is the time when licenced premises start to close down and patrons spill out on to the street. 4:30am is when the ward is bustling with hospital staff and patients.

    The article goes on to discuss a number of assault cases one of which involved a 24 year old club goer who was spear tackled by bouncers at a Sydney club, leaving him unconscious and possibly brain damaged.

    Another incident involved a young man who was found wandering the streets in a daze with a wound to the head.

    According to the doctor young people particularly those in their twenties especially men are falling victim (and are becoming perpetrators) of alcohol fuelled assaults every weekend due to violence.

     

  • List of Shame Targets Irresponsible Alcohol Advertisers

    http://media.smh.com.au/news/national-news/top-10-irresponsible-alcohol-ads-4481066.html

    Alcohol advertising in Australia is self-regulated by the Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code Scheme at the moment. This is a voluntary scheme administered primarily by alcohol industry and advertising representatives but that could all change if an independent review board gets its way. The Alcohol Advertising Review Board recently released its top 10 shameful alcohol advertisements which target children. Included in the top 10 irresponsible advertisements are the advertisements for Budweiser beer on a telephone box outside a school and a range of Jim Beam Racing children’s clothing which have all been included in the list. The review board is a joint initiative by the McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth and the Cancer Council Western Australia. In the first year of its inception the board received 200 complaints. The board’s first annual report, launched on Tuesday, revealed that it fully upheld 104 of the complaints and partly upheld 32 – a shocking number of irresponsible advertisements encouraging young people to drink. The Australian Medical Association has also joined the review board in its calls for government regulation of the alcohol advertising industry.

    To read the list visit http://www.alcoholadreview.com.au/resources/AARB_Annual_Report_1213-FINAL-for-publication.pdf