Right: Binge drinking: can tightening alcohol selling laws alleviate the problem, or is "education" the answer?Further implications
There is clearly room to debate the extent of binge drinking among minors, relative to its occurrence among older sections of the Australian population. However, recently released figures suggesting the extent of teenage alcohol consumption are sufficiently alarming to have lead for calls for action from a number of alcohol and health bodies.The Rudd Government's $53 million initiative is intended largely to use sporting associations to promote a responsible drinking message and to conduct a nation-wide advertising campaign which the Prime Minister hopes may frighten adolescents into drinking more moderately.
The use of how the states will respond to the challenge of curbing adolescent drinking remains to be seen. The federal government believes a uniform set of laws governing secondary supply would be helpful. This means that the same laws would apply in every state as to how those who supply alcohol to minors should be punished and the circumstances under which it is legal to supply alcohol to minors.
The federal Health Minister, Nicola Roxon, has indicated that she would like to see all states adopt laws like those that operate in New South Wales. These make it illegal to supply alcohol to other people's under-age children even within a private home.
In the mean time the government has indicated that if its more moderate measures do not prove effective it is prepared to consider banning or limiting alcohol advertising. It has also been suggested that the government may raise the legal drinking age to 21. Among other measures which are being contemplated is to increase the tax on alcohol so as to increase its price and hopefully put it outside the reach of young drinkers.
It has also been suggested that the federal government might require that health warning labels be put on bottles and cans.