Inquiry into consultation draft National Alcohol Strategy
Turning Point's submission into the Inquiry into the consultation draft National Alcohol Strategy by the Department of Health on behalf of the Ministerial Alcohol and Drug Forum.
Turning Point would like to offer its support to the submissions prepared by the National Alliance for Action on Alcohol (NAAA), the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) and the Alcohol Policy Coalition (APC).
After seven years without a National Alcohol Strategy, Turning Point is pleased to see that the Ministerial Drug and Alcohol Forum (MDAF) has released the Consultation Draft for public consultation. It is also pleasing to see that the Consultation Draft has incorporated feedback from the public health and community sectors, largely aligns with a number of international strategies, and includes evidence-based measures that have been proven to be effective in preventing and minimising alcohol harm.
However a strategy is only as effective as its implementation. While the Consultation Draft provides a good summary of the evidence and outlines evidence-based ‘opportunities for action’, it lacks detail on implementation. Without clear priorities, commitments, timeframes and accountability mechanisms, a new National Alcohol Strategy will not achieve change.
To transform the Consultation Draft into a strategy that will achieve change, Turning Point recommends incorporation of three priorities in any future National Alcohol Strategy.