What is Australia doing to prevent and minimise alcohol harm?
At the national level Australia’s approaches to alcohol harm minimisation are outlined in many strategies which provide policy options to achieve the goal of reducing alcohol harms. There is much overlap in the aims, targets and priority areas. The strategies most relevant to reducing alcohol harms are the National Alcohol Strategy 2019–2028 (Department of Health and Aged Care 2019), the National Drug Strategy 2017–2026 (Department of Health and Aged Care 2017), and National Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Strategic Action Plan 2018–2028 (Department of Health and Aged Care 2018). For more information on the Department of Health and Aged Care Alcohol initiatives see What we're doing about alcohol.
The funding and implementation of alcohol-related policy occurs at all levels of government. Namely, state and territory governments are responsible for the licensing of liquor outlets and implementing alcohol related policies and plans as appropriate for their jurisdiction. State and territory strategic plans include:
- Achieving balance: The Queensland Alcohol and Other Drugs Plan (Queensland Mental Health Commission 2022)
- Western Australian Mental Health, Alcohol And Other Drug Services Plan 2015–2025 (Government of Western Australia Mental Health Commission 2015)
- VicHealth Alcohol Strategy 2019–2023 (VicHealth 2019)
- ACT Drug Strategy Action Plan 2022-2026 (ACT Government 2022)
- Strategic Prioritisation Framework for Alcohol and other Drugs Research and Evaluation: 2020–2024 (NSW Health 2021)
- South Australian Alcohol and Other Drug Strategy 2017–2021 (Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia 2016)
- Tasmanian Drug Strategy 2024-2029 (Tasmanian Government Department of Health 2024)
- Northern Territory Alcohol Action Plan 2023-2025 Alcohol Policies & Legislation Reform (in production) (Northern Territory Government 2022).
ACT Government (2022) ACT Drug Strategy Action Plan 2022–2026, ACT Drug Strategy Action Plan 2022-2026, ACT Government, accessed 23 October 2023.
Department of Health and Aged Care (2017) National Drug Strategy, Department of Health and Aged Care, Australian Government, accessed 23 October 2023.
Department of Health and Aged Care (2018) National Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Strategic Action Plan 2018–2028, Department of Health and Aged Care, Australian Government, accessed 23 October 2023.
Department of Health and Aged Care (2019) National Alcohol Strategy 2019–2028, Department of Health and Aged Care, Australian Government, accessed 19 October 2023.
Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia (2016) South Australian Alcohol and Other Drug Strategy 2017–2021, Government of South Australia, accessed 23 October 2023.
NSW Health Strategic Prioritisation Framework for Alcohol and other Drugs Research and Evaluation: 2020–2024, NSW Government, accessed 23 October 2023.
Queensland Mental Health Commission (2022) Achieving balance: The Queensland Alcohol and Other Drugs Plan, Queensland Mental Health Commission, Queensland Government, accessed 23 October 2023.
Tasmanian Government Department of Health (2024) Tasmanian Drug Strategy 2024-2029, Tasmanian Government Department of Health, accessed 29 May 2024
Northern Territory Government (2022) Northern Territory Alcohol Action Plan 2023-2025, Northern Territory Government, accessed 29 May 2024
VicHealth (2019) VicHealth Alcohol Strategy 2019–2023, VicHealth, Victorian Government, accessed 23 October 2023.
Western Australia Mental Health Commission (2015) Better Choices. Better Lives. Western Australian Mental Health, Alcohol And Other Drug Services Plan 2015–2025, Government of Western Australia Mental Health Commission, accessed 23 October 2023.