NT alcohol policy scorecard

On Saturday 27 August, Territorians will head to the polls.

Ahead of the Northern Territory (NT) election, we have an opportunity to put excessive grog consumption, and its dire consequences, on the agenda. An opportunity to demand that the Territory’s political representatives acknowledge the scale of the problem and embrace those measures proven to be successful.

Alcohol is responsible for two deaths, 52 hospitalisations, and 69 assaults every week in the NT.

The Territory has the highest proportion of people in Australia who drink daily and the lowest proportion of non-drinkers.

Alcohol’s a factor in at least 42 per cent of road deaths, 53 per cent of all assaults, and in up to 65 per cent of all family violence reported to police.

These statistics are damning.

This is a problem that affects all Territorians. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples suffer disproportionately but it touches all who live here.

But although alcohol harm is a big problem, it is not one without solutions.

We know what works, and armed with that evidence we now need the political will to introduce measures that will be effective in saving lives and reducing the damage wrought by alcohol across the Territory.

Earlier this month the People’s Alcohol Action Coalition (PAAC), based in Alice Springs, and the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) put forward a comprehensive plan of action for addressing this harm: Calling time on too much grog in the NT.

We’re calling for the Territory’s political representatives to step up to the plate and commit to the nine priority areas identified in this 2016 election platform.

PAAC and FARE wrote to the major political parties and sitting independents contesting the 2016 NT Election, to find out where they stand on a range of alcohol policy measures.

We’ve developed an alcohol policy scorecard based on their responses to five key questions:

? Do you/Does your party support the reintroduction of the Banned Drinkers’ Register in conjunction with scanning of photo identification cards in all licensed venues?

? Do you/ Does your party support the introduction of a minimum price for alcohol equivalent to the existing minimum price of takeaway full-strength beer, currently at approximately $1.30 per standard drink?

? Do you/ Does your party support the development of a response to the final report of the Select Committee on Action to Prevent Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and its 26 recommendations, including funded action to prevent, diagnose and manage FASD in the Northern Territory?

? Do you/ Does your party support the introduction of a risk-based licensing scheme for liquor licensing in the Northern Territory?

? Do you/ Does your party support the ban on political donations made by the alcohol industry and their representatives?

Find out how each of them scored:

Download the FARE and PAAC NT alcohol policy scorecard.

See the full responses and party policies, and find out more about our NT election campaign

You can also join the discussion at #ntpol and #ntvotes and include #alcohol in your post.