A balanced and collaborative approach from all stakeholders is what is required to address the issue of problem drinking

LOOKING at the most recent debates on alcohol policy, there is an obvious trend amongst anti-alcohol campaigners that must be examined, according to the boss of Retail Drinks Australia

LOOKING at the most recent debates on alcohol policy, there is an obvious trend amongst anti-alcohol campaigners that must be examined.

The modus operandi of these groups is to create unnecessary panic and alarm around Australians’ drinking habits to justify the implementation of more intrusive and restrictive policies.

Anti-alcohol groups specifically champion policies which target all drinkers regardless of whether you are a problem drinker or not.

By contrast, the alcohol industry has persistently sought to target problem drinking through localised and specifically targeted solution such as the Banned Drinkers Register and Police Auxiliary Liquor Inspectors (PALIs).

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The latest example of the anti-alcohol sector’s tactics was the recent media commentary around Australians’ drinking habits during COVID-19. Anti-alcohol groups claimed that Australians’ drinking had spiked significantly during lockdowns. To substantiate this claim, anti-alcohol groups highlighted the increased retail sales figures of alcohol during this period.

While it is true retail alcohol sales rose, the caveat to this is that on-premises alcohol sales nosedived over the same period due to these venues being closed during various lockdowns throughout the year.

Looking holistically at the data, the increase in takeaway alcohol sales did not make up for the drop in on-premises sales meaning that there was actually a net overall decline.

Another recent example of the anti-alcohol sector’s approach was the publication of misleading research around minimum unit pricing.

Anti-alcohol groups have praised the minimum unit pricing as a resounding success and one which should be rolled out across the entire country.

Retail Drinks Australia chief executive Michael Waters. Picture: Gregg Porteous

This is despite the fact that its success cannot be ascertained for certain as it was introduced at the same time as a raft of other reforms by the NT Government.

As Retail Drinks has previously noted, minimum unit pricing is a blunt instrument which penalises all drinkers and fails to address problem drinking as heavy drinkers simply switch to other alcohol categories unaffected by MUP.

In discussing the results of this research, the authors heavily criticised the industry, claiming that the alcohol industry had sought to profit off problem-drinkers and “persistently undermine efforts to reform alcohol regulations”.

These incendiary remarks demonstrate that the anti-alcohol industry is more interested in taking cheap shots at its perceived enemies and hiding behind lazy, flimsy research than contributing valuable insights into actual policy problems.

A balanced and collaborative approach from all stakeholders is what is required to address the issue of problem drinking, rather than the combative and antagonistic approach taken by anti-alcohol groups.

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There is nothing to be gained by adopting this kind of adversarial mentality in terms of policy success.

What is needed are targeted and evidence-based policy solutions as opposed to simplified, all-of-population measures which fail to distinguish between those with harmful alcohol consumption habits and those who do not.

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■ MICHAEL WATERS is the Chief Executive of Retail Drinks Australia