So some colleagues and I were discussing the Melbourne Cup the other day.  I was saying that I’d never been, and probably never would, because quite frankly large crowds of drunk people make me anxious.

(Cue bad memory of the last big event I willingly attended - Big Day Out 2002 - where I narrowly escaped some young pup throwing up on my toes, and the afternoon saw me rolling a complete stranger into the coma position).

So I was surprised when people agreed with me.  And even more surprised when the general consensus was that the Melbourne Cup is all about drunk women walking around carrying their shoes, and drunk men with their shirts off, peeing indiscreetly in corners.  And for that reason, my colleagues said, they had no interest in attending either.

The race that stops a nation!  Is this really what it’s become?  When did the Melbourne Cup stop being about horse racing and start being about boozing it up?

We all know that alcohol is a big part of our culture and it’s not all bad either – it can be the harbinger of much enjoyment when consumed in small amounts.

However, when you tip the balance from small amounts to revoltingly intoxicated, it brings a whole new world of pain, including fights, accidents, road crashes and sexual assault.

Already, more than 24,000 Victorians end up in hospital from alcohol harm every year. And as taxpayers, we fork out more than $15billion dollars each year to clean up the mess that alcohol leaves in its wake.

It’s time to say no to a drinking culture in which this is acceptable behaviour.  Have you attended the Melbourne Cup?  What’s been your experience of it?  Email CAAN@adf.org.au

Until next week,

Sarah Jaggard
Community Mobilisation Policy Officer

As of today, it is against Victoria law to supply alcohol to anyone under the age of 18 in a private home, unless you have been granted permission by the minor’s parents, guardian or spouse.

If you supply alcohol to a minor in your home and you don’t have consent, you could be fined more than $7000.

http://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/teendrinkinglaw

Bailie J et al 2011 Achieving positive change in the drinking culture of Wales, Wrexham: Glyndwr University; Bangor University

Key points:

• While ‘drinking culture’ is conceptually diffuse, objective changes can only be measured through consequences such as overall level of alcohol consumption and changes in the social and medical harm related to alcohol

• Findings are grouped into three broad themes: Control, Harm Reduction, and Attitudes

• Control (restricting public availability and consumption) – effective measures include:
o PRICE - Strongest evidence base supports alcohol consumption being highly sensitive to price – affects younger drinkers more than older, and is cumulative over time. Minimum pricing is likely to lead to reduced alcohol consumption, especially for the heaviest drinkers
o AVAILABILITY – the degree to which alcohol regulations are enforced such as RSA, raising the minimum drinking age, reducing BAC for driving, controlling outlet density

• Harm reduction (limiting the damage to oneself and others) – effective measures include:
o BRIEF INTERVENTIONS – identifying individuals at high risk and delivering brief, medically-related advice and information
o DRINK DRIVING LEGISLATION – reducing permissible BACs
(designated drivers and interlocks, also health campaigns not wholly effective)

• Attitudes (predominant and sub-cultural attitudes to alcohol) - not much positive here
o Liberalising alcohol policy to encourage a healthier ‘southern European’ drinking culture has palpably failed
o Strong social taboo against women being intoxicated in public has weakened
o More recent research shows that exposure to alcohol advertising does have an impact on individual drinking behaviour but that bans may not have much impact
o Sufficient evidence to show that responsible drinking campaigns from the alcohol industry are ineffective or counter-productive

- Thanks to Anna for the dot points.

Drunkorexia: girls starving to drink more
The Sunday Telegraph, 30 October 2011
It’s a new dangerous drinking fad dubbed "drunkorexia" and gripping NSW -- women starving themselves so they can booze and not gain weight. Medics say the growing craze is most common among university students faced with the challenge of staying slim and peer-pressure drinking.

Push for a Territory-style booze ban
Sunday Mail, 29 October 2011
The State Government should watch the Northern Territory on alcohol reforms, its Attorney-General says. Reforms include checking the identity of every takeaway alcohol customer against a register of banned drinkers. The NT scheme has been running since July 1 as part of a package to tackle alcoholism.

Forum seeks way to stop cheap alcohol
The Age, 26 October 2011
Wine discounting and the cheap $5 cleanskin are in the sights of an informal coalition of lawyers, health professionals, and economists who met for the first time yesterday to draw up plans to raise the minimum price of alcohol.

'Alcohol-free' homes to reduce violence
ABC News, 25 October 2011
Authorities are hoping the ability to declare any house in Western Australia an alcohol-free zone will lead to a reduction in domestic violence. Amendments to the Liquor Control Act allow the Department for Child Protection to apply to have any house in the state declared an alcohol-free zone.