LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Sir – An inquiry examining the harmful use of alcohol in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities will be called upon to explore the culpability of the alcohol industry, examining the alcohol supply chain and its role in supplying alcohol to communities where harms are most significant.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are disproportionately affected, with deaths from alcohol-related causes 7.5 times greater than to other Australians.
Countless reviews have examined the role of Government and the responsibility of drinkers, but repeatedly overlooked the responsibility of the alcohol industry.
If we are to address this national shame, we need to first acknowledge that there is an alcohol industry that profits every day from the misery and suffering, and then we need to fully explore the alcohol industry’s culpability.
[The governments need to] mandate that the alcohol industry make its supply data publicly and continually available. If industry has nothing to hide, it will not resist such a call.
[We have made] a further 31 recommendations, including the introduction of community- driven Alcohol Management Plans in areas where a need has been identified and agreed, and calls for a new National Alcohol Strategy, informed by the World Health Organization’s Global Strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol.
Michael Thorn
Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education