Professor Dan Lubman AM on Life Matters’ “Sober curiosity” episode
We need to have more open, honest and nuanced conversations about alcohol's place in Australian culture, he said during the program.
In a recent Australian Broadcasting Corporation Australian Story episode, popular actor and cancer activist Samuel Johnson spoke candidly about his relationship with alcohol.
The episode prompted the ABC's Life Matters radio show to take a deeper look into sober curiosity.
Victoria Vanstone, author of "A Thousand Wasted Sundays,” and Professor Dan Lubman AM, Executive Clinical Director of Turning Point Addiction Treatment, Research and Education, were featured on the program.
Professor Lubman told Life Matters that we need to have more open, honest and nuanced conversations about alcohol's place in Australian culture.
"The reality is that alcohol actually causes significant harm in Australia, yet it's often invisible in the way that we talk about it," Professor Lubman said.
“Australia is currently experiencing the highest rates of alcohol-induced deaths in over 20 years... Yet we don't really have any public education campaigns talking about alcohol and only about 1 in 4 people who could benefit from alcohol treatment actually receive it."
"We need to foster a culture where it's okay to question our relationship with alcohol and feel comfortable to ask for help and seek support early."
Listen to the program: ‘Sober curiosity’ on Life Matters
For media enquiries email [email protected] or call 0478 854 644.