National Drug Policy Fails to Address Harm From Drinking

The National drug policy released several days ago purports to address harms secondary to drugs that are “both proportionate to the harms and evidence based”.

“Alcohol as the most damaging recreational drug causes disproportionate harms in New Zealand” says Dr Sam McBride, medical spokesperson for Alcohol Action NZ. It is casually related to over 60 medical conditions and there are more than 800 premature deaths from drinking in New Zealand each year. Cancer makes up a large proportion of chronic alcohol related disease. The other half of alcohol related harms are due to injuries including suicide.”

“However the harms extend beyond the individual including violence to others and community concerns such as noise, litter, offensive behavior, vandalism, petty crime assault and road traffic injury. A New Zealand based study found that the prevalence of such harms to others can be higher than the harms to the individual (Connor and Casswell 2012).”

“As such it is disappointing that the National Drug Policy in its approach to alcohol so completely fails to meet its stated aims. The absence of evidence based strategies to address current drinking patterns such as increasing price, reducing availability and reducing marketing and sponsorship is striking. Instead it chooses to “encourage a positive shift” in “the culture of drinking and intoxication”. Such an approach sounds comforting however lacks any evidence base. Increasing treatment availability is welcomed however by itself will not address the range and extent of harms. That will require a population based approach.”

“It is ironic and telling that the National Drug Policy was released on the same day that Parliament chose to weaken the Sale and Supply of Alcohol act 2012 in order to facilitate late night drinking during the Rugby World Cup. It is a move that was welcomed by the alcohol industry (whilst being opposed by police and health professionals) indicating that commercialization of alcohol is where the government’s interest continues to lie.”

ENDS

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