Reducing Youth Alcohol Harm

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Consultation has concluded

Help Reduce Youth Alcohol Harm

Council, in collaboration with other service providers has developed a draft Plan called, 'Options to Reduce Youth Alcohol Related Harm in the Blue Mountains'. The draft Plan is on public exhibition from Wednesday 23 May to Friday 6 July, 2012.

Your feed back is important.

You are invited and encouraged to:

Have Your Say Today and Help Reduce Youth Alcohol Harm

Help Reduce Youth Alcohol Harm

Council, in collaboration with other service providers has developed a draft Plan called, 'Options to Reduce Youth Alcohol Related Harm in the Blue Mountains'. The draft Plan is on public exhibition from Wednesday 23 May to Friday 6 July, 2012.

Your feed back is important.

You are invited and encouraged to:

Have Your Say Today and Help Reduce Youth Alcohol Harm

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Introduction

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In present situation, youth are getting edict to alcohol very easily. the only action should be taken is to ban the alcoholic shops , punish people who ever sell the drinks, and also punish the youth.

jalewagger over 10 years ago

As a public health epidemiologist who also works on this issue in another part of Sydney it can be very helpful to work with the local Public Health/Health Promotion Service. I often review liquor license applications and I have developed a set of criteria which I apply objectively to all applications and subsequently submit my recommendation to council and government. Council does actually have the authority to recommend the rejection of an application and if the reasons given are valid the government usually complies

Astroboy about 11 years ago

The midnight basketball idea is great. It has worked well in Redfern, Waterloo and Campbelltown and similar program in the US and in the UK (focussing on Soccer) have been successful. However, not all young people like Basketball, and not all young people are sports oriented. I think a similar program but focussing on creativity shuold be developed and implemented in conunction with the Midnight Basketball program. When I worked with Campbelltown Arts center they were developing a program for high-risk youth where they would attend workshops on making a documentary run by NIDA and in groups make a documentary. Other programs could focus on music or dance. Young people need to feel a part of a broader community, and need to have meaningful contact with adults who are not part of their immediate family. Exposing young people to creative or athletic professionals will work very well

Astroboy about 11 years ago

Thanks Len, for your kind remarks about the Throne Magazine. It resulted from the Young Women & Alcohol Project which was a program for young women by young women from the Blue Mtns. If interested; you can read the Project Report on www.substance.org.au
Sandra Pedler - Substance.org (WESDARC)

Sandra over 11 years ago

Great comments. I think this draft action plan is thorough and takes into account the many, many levels which influence Youth alcohol related harm. I think the comments reflect the complexity of this multi-faceted issue and make it even more evident that a whole of community responce is essentail. A whole of community responce within the context of local, state and national recognition of the resources necessary for affective intervention. I believe the Blue Mountains Community is well placed to create, impliment and support WHATEVER we jointly commit to in order to reduce youth alcohol relatted harm!

Sarah Farrell-Whelan over 11 years ago

Many many young people love to watch sport. I am very concerned that many rugby league teams are sponsored by beer companies. It is illegal to advertise cigarettes, it should be illegal for sport to be alcohol sponsored. I would like to see the BMCC lead the way, together with other councils to lobby against having sport sponsored by brewing companies.

L & L Cormack over 11 years ago

One thought is that we can not enough activities available for youth so that they have viable and enjoyable alternativess to drinking. Free access to more than just skate parks, for example, equipment to make video or create multimedia, outside of school hours. Example 1: See www.48hourfilm.com
For the money spend on thinking and talking about these issues, more could be put towards providing adults who could actual interact informally or formally guide youth in organised physical activities, like rock climbing, or similar outdoor games or programs like that of Outward Bound. We live in a natural heaven for such things. Even gardening or exploration of indigenous rituals, customs and customs.
Secondly, let's look at how they get to think about drinking, such as parental exposure to, or even unstated pressure towards, alcohol consumption and work to prevent its abuse at its source, reducing the end product. The odd TV advert is not working, it seems, so could we train community members who could do home visits with this in mind?
Lastly, yes, giving responsibility to youth is very valuable yet to talk of encouraging youth to 'save' their mates, as in one of the programs in place already, actually tends to deny this. Rather, suggest youth look after themselves and not engage with others who do not. Perhaps if youth feel they are not part of a group they could consider changing their behaviour to regain acceptance by responsible for themselves. Honour their self determination for the better and it appears.
Other have suggested some good points too. May we each see how we inlfuence the youth around us and develop a caring an.d safe environment for them, as step one.

Pablo over 11 years ago

Hi & thanks for preparing this - there are some good ideas & overall sentiment in it, I think, but is it reaching people? The feedback below is good but only a few of us...
Hopefully the plans and projects outlined do get out there and get to those who need help and/or have something to contribute!

Dave almost 12 years ago

Great initiative, pleased to see that you are looking at alternatives for the young as in the PCYC and Blue Light Disco's, a lot of the problems arise from boredom and young people looking for something to keep them amused. I also agree with the previous comments that all, young or old, need to take responsibility for thier actions but without guidance and leadership they will never achieve this.

Sue almost 12 years ago

Congratulations, its a terrific initiative. Lisa J

LisaJ almost 12 years ago

Maybe we could take a look at adult drinking and the culture we are passing onto our kids.

How many of us noticed that last Anzac Day was sponsored by VB?

I agree with Norm that responsibility is an important factor here.

I suggest programs for youth that are based on empowering kids with the experience of responsibility.

A person who feels included and empowered within their community will acquire self-esteem and be less likely to be searching for risky kicks.

A little imagination might go a long way.

There is a magazine called Throne, written and produced by youth for youth that is a great example of what can be done with a bit of thought and care.
It is a local publication :
http://bookshop.adf.org.au/magazines/throne-magazine.aspx?id=51
worth a look.

Any other suggestions?

Len almost 12 years ago

1. Start with where the responsibility lies.
The draft plan seems to ignore the responsibility of the youth involved for their own actions. I think this is a serious mistake, and many of the social issues we currently have have come about because of this approach to issues. The first option and action is for the people involved to take reponsibility for themselves. By not starting with this, we disqualify young people from taking responsibility, and entrench the idea that 'my actions are someone else's responsibility'.
2. There needs to be a consequence of anti social behaviour.
Any anti social behaviour needs to have a consequence - be that social work, bans, payments, spomething. otherwise the programme will have limited effectiveness.
3. There is an excess of liquor outlets.
Not only should future outlets be examined more carefully, but there should be a programme to reduce the promimence of alcohol in our city. Take a walk down the main street of Springwood, and see what message we give our youth.
4. Funding should come from a tax on liquor outlets.
This tax could come from a special council levy, eg 'Alchohol harm minimisation levy' and apply it to liquour outlets, commensurate with volume of liqour sold and/or opening hours.

Norman almost 12 years ago