Bulletin

26 January 2011

Call for Alcohol Reform

The holidays are over, and Downtown Community Ministry (DCM) is beginning the year with encouraging our community to make submissions on the Alcohol Reform Bill. Submissions close on Friday 18 February.

Stephanie McIntyre, director of DCM says, “There are insufficient measures in the Bill to adequately address the negative impact alcohol has on our community.”

Despite the popular belief that “heavy drinking” is a predominately youth issue, of the approximately 700,000 heavy drinkers in New Zealand, 90% are over 20 years old (Wells, Baxter & Schaaf 2006).

“The Bill does not adequately recognise New Zealand’s desperate need for an increase in treatment options as recommended by the Law Commission,” says Stephanie, who has witnessed first-hand the effectiveness of harm reduction treatment facilities internationally.

DCM has continued to emphasise the need for Te Whare Oki Oki, a harm-reduction model of alcohol treatment. Based on the “housing first” model, and the fundamental belief is that housing is a basic human right, Te Whare Oki Oki will provide stabilised housing to create a foundation for recovery to begin. 

A key conclusion of the Law Commission review into alcohol was that, “it is hard to think of any other lawful product available in our society that contributes so much to so many social ills”.  This review led to the Alcohol Reform Bill.

Alcohol Action propose four areas in their submission that they want to see added to the Bill which are putting an end to:  cheap alcohol sales and specials; highly normalised and easy access to alcohol; all alcohol advertising and sponsorship along the lines of the previous tobacco reforms; and legal drunk driving.

You can contact DCM for more information on how to make your submission, or to get copies of the Alcohol Action submission postcard.