Long-term approach to liquor problem wanted

Press, 23 June 1978, Page 8

Long-term approach to liquor problem wanted

PA Wellington The Liquor Advisory Council has called for a coordinated approach to liquor ’onfrol. Measures to reduce the .dverse effects of a disproportionately’ high consumption by ; some individ- 1 uals have not in the past kept pace with the problem. : ' the council says in its an- 1

nual report, tabled in Parliament. Government departments and community organisations have made dedicated efforts to contain and repair the increasing medical, social, and economic effects with which they come in contact, the report says. “However, there' has been, no co-ordinated ■' policy embracing all aspects of the problem,” it says. “Ex-

cessive dnnKing is so deeply ingrained in our way of life that only a broadly-baset ’ programme of preventior and' treatment can be ex Ipected to change the situ ation.” The council is taking e long-term approach to the problem. , It says programmes aimed 'at’changing New Zealand at titudcs or increasing the spread of treatment and rehabilitation should only be introduced after careful con

sideration, and when there is reasonable hope for positive results. With this in mind, the j council has accumulatec ■ $733,892 which it will use ; “in future years as appropriate programmes are developed in various fields.” While financial support I for working organisations would be continued, it says: 1 “Vitally important though such activities are in humanitarian terms, they are ’essentially palliative, and the council believes that primary prevention, through education, information, research. and evaluation, must ;be a key object for the future.’’ I The report shows consumption of pure alcohol to [have risen 2.9 per cent in itwo years to the equivalent lof 8.1 litres of pure alcohol (per head a year. Factors in the increase are an increasing number of alcohol outlets, extension of drinking hours, lowering of the drinking age, and a rapid expansion of the wine industry.

The council offers four i '‘practical needs for rhe imi mediate future” if any real ! improvement is to be achieved: (1) Finn endorsement by leaders at al) levels and by ’ interested public figures, ini eluding sportsmen and enteri tainment personalities, of ! the wisdom of moderation in [drinking. j (2) The preparation of efj fective educational material I for use in schools. I (3) The development of furi ther basic facilities under j the direction of hospital boards for the assessment land treatment of people (with serious alcohol probI lems. (4) The development of al-cohol-related programmes in I industry.