Alcohol misuse is damaging our communities and our country, causing misery, pain and loss. We can ALL work together to change our drinking culture.
One current focus of Healthy Christchurch is to reduce the harm of Alcohol misuse in Christchurch. The Champions of the sponsoring organisations identified Alcohol as an issue of common concern and agreed to add their support to collective actions in time with the Law Commission's review of the Sale and Supply of Liquor Act. A key action is to raise awareness of the damage this drug does to individuals, families and whole communities.
On Thursday 10th June 2010 the Christchurch community were invited to attend Alcohol: the Ripple Effects. At this commmunity event, presentations were given by nine key people who see the harm alcohol is doing to our people and our communities everyday. The attached presentations are meant as a resource for organisations and communities to use to highlight the harm, raise awareness and to support much needed changes to the Law.
Dr Martin Seers (Pegasus Health)
Dr Martin Seers has been a family doctor in Christchurch since 1991. He joined the Pegasus Health Board in 1996 and was elected Chair of the Board in 2007. He continues to work 8/10 in his practice.
This presentation provided an overview of the issue of alcohol harm in primary care. Martin also highlighted key points from the joint submission to the Law Commission from Partnership Health Canterbury PHO, Pegasus Health, Canterbury Community PHO, Christchurch PHO, Rural Canterbury PHO and general practitioners.
Dr Jan Bone, Emergency Dept Physician (Canterbury District Health Board)
Professor Dog Sellman (National Addiction Centre)
Alcohol is causing brain damage in the young of Christchurch: Do the alcohol industry care?
This short presentation began with an overview of the national alcohol crisis - New Zealand's heavy drinking culture involving 700,000 citizens - the total population of Christchurch and Wellington combined. It then focused on the neurotoxicity of alcohol in unborn children and young people followed by an evidence-based solution - the 5+ Solution - for reducing the damage alcohol is currently inflicting on our society. The excessive commercialisation of alcohol is considered a scourge by those concerned about the health and well-being of New Zealanders because it is such a driving force behind the heavy drinking culture. However for the alcohol industry, the heavy drinking culture is the source of much of their enormous profit and therefore in need of serious defence.
Craig Stockdale (St John Ambulance)
This presentation focused on the role of Ambulance Officers in the community, and the types of incidents that Ambulance Officers encounter. Craig also highlighted the growing difficulties in handling such incidents and how this impacts on service delivery and staff. A high proportion of assaults including domestic violence have alcohol as a contributing factor.
Gilbert Taurua (ALAC)
Gilbert presents on behalf of Tuari Potiki, a Ngai Tahu perspective, presented at forum held for MPs in April 2010 and as an individual working in the field.
Sergeant Al Lawn (Christchurch Police)
This presentation focused on alcohol - no ordinary commodity - in our community. Sergeant Lawn presented the facts of life about what we drink and where we drink, together with the crime patterns associated with alcohol.
Glenn Dobson (Safer Christchurch)
This presentation covered how the harmful effects of alcohol have impacted on Christchurch as a city and some of the initiatives that CCC have put in place to counter these negative effects. It also provided some intervention and enforcement statistics.
Professor Peter Joyce (University of Otago, Christchurch)
In this presentation Professor Joyce spoke to the public statement of Doctors and Nurses of NZ entitled "An historic opportunity to change New Zealand's heavy drinking culture".
Martin Ferguson (Tri Agency Liquor Group)
This presentation focused on the day to day reality of alcohol in Christchurch. The Tri-agency Liqour Group is responsible for the running of licensed premises in our city, It is comprised of Community and Public Health liquor licensing representatives (on behalf of the Medical Officer of Health), the Christchurch City Council Liquor Licensing Inspectors and the Alcohol Strategy and Enforcement Team of the Christchurch Police.