Page 2191 - Week 08 - Thursday, 10 September 1992
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Last week I launched a campaign called Thrills without Spills, which is a joint initiative of the Department of Health and the Department of Education. This is an anti-binge-drinking project which promotes the responsible use of alcohol and provides in-service training to teachers and to senior students in order that they may have the skills and the knowledge to develop anti-binge-drinking programs in the classroom. One of the skills that it is clearly necessary to pass on is the ability of young people to evaluate advertising, to make a judgment about it.
The Government has also been promoting the message "How will you feel tomorrow?" through the Rock Eisteddfod, in which 24 local schools took part, and also through the ACT Darts Association, which will host an alcohol-free inter-high-school darts challenge. In addition, the TTT program continues to be popular in schools. This program provides peer education training so that young people have the knowledge and the skills to teach a younger age group about responsible attitudes to the use and abuse of both alcohol and drugs.
The Alcohol and Drugs Service has also been publishing articles in the Canberra University newspaper on issues such as drinking and driving, the effects of alcohol and drugs, and alcohol and sex. Madam Speaker, educating our young people on the dangers of alcohol and binge drinking will have the most beneficial effect in the long term. Along with these measures, the Department of Health is also at present developing a youth alcohol strategy which encompasses policy and action strategies in relation to the use of alcohol by young people.
These programs and the initiatives that I have outlined are concrete examples of the Government's approach to the problem of young people and alcohol abuse. As Mr Stevenson points out, this is a real problem. It is as much of a problem in the ACT as anywhere else. In fact, the recent study that was conducted of binge drinking behaviour amongst a very young age group in the ACT more than justified all of these programs.
MR STEVENSON: I have a brief supplementary question specifically regarding the industry. Could something be done to educate the industry and to get to the people who are advertising alcohol - Mr Connolly might like to take up this particular point - not necessarily by introducing legislation, but certainly by encouraging some responsible behaviour within the industry? I think the vast majority of people within the industry would be perfectly happy to take that on.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Stevenson, I think I have just indulged you by allowing you a second question; but Mr Connolly may choose to answer.
MS FOLLETT: I will take the question, Madam Speaker. Where examples of this kind of advertising have been drawn to my attention - as I believe they have also been drawn to the Minister's attention - I have written to the outlets concerned. Mr Connolly has also advised me that he has had the practice of sending inspectors around to outlets where there has been an advertisement for what we would term binge drinking or advertising that is aimed particularly at young people and in an immoderate way. So action is being taken, Madam Speaker. If Mr Stevenson has another example which he would like the Government to take action on or take up with the particular outlet concerned, then I would be happy to do so.
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