Alcohol Change Australia

Every Australian should be able to grow up and live in an environment that supports their health and wellbeing. Yet our community is constantly bombarded with promotions for harmful products, including alcohol. Alcohol companies advertise through a wide range of media, including through free-to-air TV. Alcohol advertising creates positive social norms around alcohol and increases use of alcohol. We need to protect Australians, particularly children and young people, from alcohol advertising. We know that for young people the more they are exposed to alcohol advertising, the more likely they are to start using alcohol products at a younger age, and to drink more if they are already using alcohol. Free TV Australia is currently seeking feedback on revisions to the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice (the Code). This Code defines when alcohol advertising can and can’t be shown on television. Concerningly, the proposed revisions to the Code will extend the times that alcoholic products can be advertised. This means children and young people are now likely to see even more alcohol marketing. The revisions also fail to close the existing loophole that permits alcohol advertising during live sports broadcasts. We need to reduce the amount of alcohol advertising on TV, not increase it. The consultation closes next Monday 11 November. For more information about the consultation and how you can get involved, see the below post.

If you experience anxiety after drinking, you may be familiar with what’s known as ‘hangxiety’. As Mental Health Month ends, here’s a look at how drinking alcohol can negatively impact a person’s mental health once its short-lived effects wear off. Alcohol is a depressant that disrupts the balance of chemical messengers in the brain. This can cause temporary feelings of relaxation. But when those effects subside, the brain works hard to try to restore the natural balance of chemicals. This ‘rebound effect’ can cause symptoms of anxiety, such as sleep problems, feelings of worry, guilt or remorse, and lack of energy and motivation. The best way to reduce the risk of ‘hangxiety’ is to reduce the amount you drink. Swipe through this series of tiles to find out more about ‘hangxiety’ - and learn more about alcohol’s general impacts on mental health and wellbeing at the link in the comments below. #MentalHealthMonth #Anxiety #Hangxiety #MentalHealthAwareness

This week the public hearings for the Inquiry into the health impacts of alcohol and other drugs in Australia have commenced. We wish to recognise the work of members of Alcohol Change Australia including the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Drug ARM who have all presented at the inquiry hearings this week, providing important feedback on how we can prevent and reduce harm from alcohol and other drugs in Australia.  

A new report out today from the Alcohol and Drug Foundation highlights the significant levels of harm older Australians experience from alcohol and other drugs. Find out more about the report below.

The Inquiry into the health impacts of alcohol and other drugs in Australia is accepting submissions until 31 December 2024. There's still plenty of time to share your feedback and inform future action in Australia to reduce and prevent alcohol harms. Check out these useful tips from Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) on how to prepare a submission.

Yesterday Alcohol Change Australia Chair, Dr Erin Lalor AM, and Executive Officer, Natalie Stapleton, had the opportunity to meet with Assistant Minister, the Hon Ged Kearney MP to talk about opportunities to improve alcohol product labelling. Honest alcohol product labelling can help reduce harms from alcohol use. We thank the Assistant Minster for her time and look forward to ongoing discussions to strengthen labelling on alcohol products in Australia.

Many women have shared with us their experiences of family and domestic violence – and how when their abuser has been drinking, it’s like pouring petrol on a bonfire. Their stories have been reinforced by a recent global review of the evidence surrounding alcohol and gendered violence. The Prevention Collaborative – a global network of practitioners, activists, and researchers working to end gendered violence worldwide – found “research consistently demonstrates a strong link between men’s harmful alcohol use and the risk of violence against women and children.” Their review also found that “reducing harmful drinking can reduce the frequency and severity of violence and enhance the safety and well-being of women and their children.” This is further acknowledgement that addressing alcohol must be part of a comprehensive approach to preventing gender-based violence and violence against children. As National Cabinet reviews alcohol laws across the country to ensure best practice for preventing violence, we must continue to elevate the voices of people with lived experience, follow the evidence, and enact reforms that can change lives. See the full Prevention Collaborative review here: https://lnkd.in/eWZ-NT9X #ViolenceAgainstWomen #FamilyViolence #HarmPrevention

Drones are becoming more prevalent in our everyday lives, and it’s anticipated that drone delivery of fast food and alcohol will be the next big use for drones in our society. The current food delivery ecosystem is widely associated with unhealthy food consumption, and increased obesity rates due to availability and reductions in incidental exercise. Drone delivery services will likely be faster and cheaper than current options. While the food industry is likely to favour this new technology application that can increase profits by reducing labour costs, the potential implications for #PublicHealth are far-ranging. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/gnjncDQf The George Institute for Global Health

“Women are telling us that men’s drinking – and the culture that supports this – has an insidious effect on their lives and safety, and that alcohol use and violence are intertwined.” Dr Ingrid Wilson's research aims to elevate the voices of women whose experiences of alcohol-related abuse are rarely heard, as their perspectives were often overlooked. As Dr Wilson says: "The voices of those who have experience violence exacerbated by alcohol must be centred in this conversation." In a recent FARE webinar, Dr Wilson shared some core findings from her research, which include: ➡️ Violence as a cycle, intimately connected to a partner’s drinking ➡️ The many strategies women use to manage the safety of themselves, children and others ➡️ The evolution of relationships where alcohol-related violence is involved ➡️ How the harms of men’s alcohol use on women are wide-ranging, hidden and cumulative Dr Wilson’s webinar address is now available on the FARE blog, which you can read here: https://lnkd.in/gqVRskug #GenderedViolence #ViolenceAgainstWomen #AlcoholAwareness

The Federal Government has commenced an Inquiry into the health impacts of alcohol and other drugs in Australia, which is being coordinated by the House Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport. The Inquiry will look at alcohol services and programs and all the ways that sectors beyond health, like education and the justice system, can help to reduce harm. Submissions are open until Tuesday 31st December. NOFASD encourages our stakeholders who have living and lived experience of the impacts of alcohol and other drugs to consider making a submission. More information to assist is available at: https://buff.ly/3NgqhID #Alcohol #AOD #FASD #FetalAlcoholSpectrumDisorder