Alcohol tax takes affect across Sunshine Coast
Mon 19 May 2008
Luke Rames, Bachelor of Journalism
A new federal tax on pre-mixed alcoholic drinks has taken effect on the Sunshine Coast to combat the nationwide binge-drinking epidemic.
Amid growing concern at the nationwide alcohol abuse rates and street violence problems the Federal Government has introduced a new tax on pre-mixed alcoholic drinks, with the intention of curbing Australia’s binge-drinking problem.
The Age reported the new tax came into effect on April 28 with the price of pre-mixed alcoholic drinks rising by 70 per cent across the Sunshine Coast.
The new tax is part of the National Binge Drinking Strategy adopted by the Rudd Government in March 2008 which is designed to address Australia’s youth binge drinking problem.
Salvation Army spokesman Captain Peter Sutcliffe said there was a binge-drinking problem on the Sunshine Coast and throughout Australia but the problem was not restricted to the youth demographic.
“There is a problem with binge drinking on the C
oast and in Australia, but it is not a problem confined to the young and youth, it’s a problem right across the board,” he said.
“It does seem to be a cultural problem in Australia. It’s like a right of passage that begins at schoolies of writing yourself off. Further down the path there are repercussions.”
Captain Sutcliffe said the government had defined binge-drinking as having over six drinks at once or drinking large amounts of alcohol regularly.
He said the Salvation Army welcomed the new tax as a deterrent for binge-drinking, but said further strategies and policies needed to be adopted by the government to support the overall goals of the National Binge Drinking Strategy.
Captain Sutcliffe said revenue from the new tax would total $500 million annually, but from this the government would put back only $200 million into binge-drinking education and prevention programs.
“The new tax is needed. We are seeing more and more people in rehabilitation with alcohol problems,” Captain Sutcliffe said.
“People may just start by binge-drinking and if we do not get control of it at the binge-drinking stage it can easily lead to people becoming alcoholics.
“The Salvation Army would like to see more money put back into education and crucial frontline services, where it is desperately needed.”
Head political lecturer at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Bronwyn Stevens, said communities on the Sunshine Coast and in Australia had a binge-drinking problem, which led to other issues such as street violence, alcoholism and other drug abuses.
Ms Stevens said while she thought the new tax would have limited success in fixing the overall problem, binge-drinking was a matter that needed addressing and was clearly identified by the Rudd Government as an issue.
“I don’t know that it’s (the new tax) going to make a huge difference but I think there is some hope that it will slightly lessen binge-drinking,” she said.
“It has raised the issue and put it in focus. I guess as we have been able to quantify the deaths from violence, from accidents, from ill health and brain damage. All those things are now a lot more before us and we understand the effects of alcohol much more, so perhaps now we really do need to take the issue on and not see it as we are just Aussies and we just do this.”
The Australian reported on May 16 that the Rudd Government has twelve months to introduce supporting legislation for the new alcohol tax.
Federal opposition leader Brandon Nelson said he would use the coalition’s majority in the Senate to block the new tax. However in July the opposition will lose control of the Senate and it is reported the Labor Government will need Senate support from the Greens, Independents and Family First to validate the new tax.
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