Better health and ageing for all Australians

Alcohol

Initiatives to minimise the harmful effects of alcohol consumption in Australian society.

National Binge Drinking Strategy

The National Binge Drinking Strategy aims to address Australia's harmful binge drinking culture, especially among young Australians. It has 5 key components:
  • Community level initiatives to confront the culture of binge drinking, particularly in sporting organisations. For a list of successful applicants, see Community Level Initiative on the alcohol website.
  • An early intervention program to act earlier to assist young people and ensure that they assume personal responsibility for their binge drinking.
  • An advertising campaign that confronts young people with the costs and consequences of binge drinking. See the drinking nightmare website.
  • A community sponsorship fund to provide an alternative to alcohol industry sponsorship for local community sporting and cultural organisations.
  • The enhancement of telephone couselling helplines.

National alcohol guidelines

The National Health and Medical Research Council's Australian guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol were released on 6 March 2009. Information and resources relating to the revised guidelines are available on the alcohol website.

National Alcohol Strategy 2006-2011

The National Alcohol Strategy 2006-2011 was endorsed by the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy in May 2006 and was developed through collaboration between Australian governments, non-government and industry partners and the broader community. It outlines priority areas for coordinated action to develop drinking cultures that support a reduction in alcohol-related harm in Australia.

The four priority areas that have been nominated as the focus of the strategy are intoxication, public safety and amenity, health impacts, and cultural place and availability.

On 24 April 2009, the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy approved an extension of the term of the current National Alcohol Strategy 2006-2009 until 2011.

Related websites

Page last reviewed: 19 August 2010