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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-06-03 Daily Xml
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ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN (15:21): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Leader of the Government, as Minister for Police, a question about steps undertaken by South Australia Police to reduce the social harms of alcohol misuse.

Leave granted.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN: The consumption of alcoholic beverages is an important part of our social fabric. and obviously the alcohol industry plays an important role in our economy. Drinking alcohol is a familiar part of our traditions and customs, but its excessive use leads to intoxication and associated harms, including dependence and socially inappropriate behaviour. Will the minister inform the council of the steps taken by South Australia Police to reduce the social harms associated with the misuse of alcohol?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Police, Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning) (15:22): I thank the honourable member for his question and for his interest in this subject. Just a few weeks ago, along with my parliamentary colleague the Minister for Substance Abuse (Hon. Gail Gago), I had the opportunity to attend the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy. The main topic discussed at this gathering of our state and federal counterparts was the misuse of alcohol.

We are all aware that alcohol enjoys enormous popularity and special significance in Australian society. People use alcohol to relax, socialise and celebrate, and it must be recognised that alcoholic beverages play a significant role in the Australian economy by generating substantial employment, retail activity, export income and tax revenue. However, we also know that alcohol can impair motor skills and judgment and produce intoxication and dependence. It can cause illness and death and have other harmful effects on our daily social and economic life.

South Australia Police not only enforce compliance with the Liquor Licensing Act but also play a vital role in trying to reduce the incidence of alcohol-related violence. Groups such as Drug and Alcohol Services SA (DASSA), together with SAPOL, continue to work very hard to reduce the harm associated with alcohol misuse. Some of the initiatives currently undertaken by SAPOL include implementing alcohol incident data collection, as well as collecting and analysing data related to drink spiking.

This improvement in the collection of data will enable SAPOL to get a much better handle on the role alcohol plays in relation to crime than statistics have done in the past. In addition, they will inform police prosecutors about alcohol and other drug-related court referral programs. The Barossa Yorke Local Service Area recently completed a two-year youth alcohol referral network trial, which addresses risky patterns of alcohol use through the diversion of young people into health treatment and timely and appropriate health assessments.

Licensing enforcement branch personnel now undertake and provide liquor licensing enforcement training to general duties police officers. The licensing enforcement branch personnel, in conjunction with local service area and corporate police planners, actively encourage compliance with liquor licensing and appropriate management practices at public events by consulting event managers and making representations to the licensing authority.

Drug action team sergeants lead initiatives that respond to local alcohol-related issues of concern in both urban and regional local service areas using a partnership approach with local health and other sector representatives.

Local service areas, the Licensing Enforcement Branch, and the Office of the Liquor and Gambling Commissioner monitor compliance by licensees with requirements in relation to the promotion and advertising of alcohol which are prescribed by the mandatory code of practice. The Licensing Enforcement Branch collaborates with the Office of the Liquor and Gambling Commissioner to examine legal aspects of alcohol availability, including service to intoxicated patrons, the mandatory liquor licensing code of practice, and the expiation of liquor licensing offences. Finally, a SAPOL representative is a member of the Inter-governmental Committee on Drugs (IGCD) working group established to examine issues relating to the secondary supply of alcohol to minors.

These are just some of the actions taken by SA Police to try to reduce the harm associated with alcohol misuse. There are many more initiatives undertaken by other organisations, of course, such as Drug and Alcohol Services SA, the Aboriginal Health Council, and the Australian Hotel Association.

At last month's ministerial council meeting ministers agreed to fast track the development of the federal government's $53.5 million national binge drinking strategy. All jurisdictions agreed on the urgency of tackling alcohol abuse and instructed the Inter-governmental Committee on Drugs to provide an interim report at the July meeting of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG). This national approach aims to reduce the impact of alcohol abuse on the health system and the incidence of alcohol-related violence.

The council agreed that this national approach was required to build on the significant work already undertaken at state and territory level, and a key outcome was an agreement to establish a national framework for late-night lockouts of licensed premises based on analysis from existing lockouts. This framework is to be used to assist police to more effectively target binge-drinking hot spots. I should make it clear that lockouts do not prohibit licensed premises from operating should their licence conditions allow trade during these hours, but they provide an opportunity to reduce alcohol-related antisocial behaviour as patrons move between licensed venues.

SAPOL is currently consulting with city of Adelaide licensees, who are being asked to take part in a voluntary trial in the CBD. Lockouts are not new to South Australia and have successfully reduced alcohol-related antisocial behaviour in a number of areas across the state, including Glenelg, Hahndorf, Victor Harbor and Naracoorte.

The Rann government is committed to reducing incidents of alcohol-related violence and other harms associated with the misuse of alcohol. While we understand that alcohol enjoys enormous popularity and plays a significant role in the Australian economy, we must not ignore the harms caused by alcohol misuse—which includes death, injury, disease, crime, violence, unemployment and family breakdown. Developing a responsible drinking culture will, hopefully, produce healthier and safer outcomes in the community, and this will continue to be a high priority for this government.

I have covered here some of the initiatives of SAPOL. However, drug and alcohol driving is a particular issue for my colleague in this place, the Minister for Road Safety; and my other colleague, the Hon. Gail Gago, has a specific responsibility and will, indeed, be the South Australian government's representative overseeing progress in the development of further anti-alcohol abuse strategies.

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