Topic: Preventing Abuse and Harm
Author: Forum Administrator | Posted: 31 Jul 2003 |
What are the underlying causes of alcohol abuse and how can these causes be altered to minimise abuse?
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Topic: Re: Preventing Abuse and Harm
Author: Con Koureas | Posted: 25 Aug 2003 |
The availability of alcohol in some case a 24 hour basis from early openers to casino style pubs and nightclubs that stay opened till 6 in the morning certainly don't help our cause. Also the mixture of gambling and drinking facilities are very encouraging to the consumers of these environments. In some cases money loss would cause anger to a person and fuelled with alcohol does not make 4 a good mixture thus an increase in violence. Also poly drug use at certain clubs does not make 4 a good mixture either. The unfortunate thing is these combinations are money spinners 4 both the govt. as well as proprieters. I feel we need to address these issues to reduce certain hams to user's as well as bystanders.
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Topic: Re: Preventing Abuse and Harm
Author: Christa Bidgood | Posted: 25 Aug 2003 |
My name is Christa Bidgood and I am an alcoholic and addict and have lived clean and sober with my husband also clean and sober for 12 years.
If I had to say what alcohol and drug use removed from me over the period of 24 years of alcohol and drug abuse (began at the age of 14 years) I would have to say my choice to say no. Suffering from an overwhelming compulsion to drink and use drugs that I had no control over until I learn't about the disease of alcoholism and addiction. I could never stay abstinent from alcohol or drugs. Many times I would swear off alcohol and drugs only to be reduced over and over again to picking up the first drink and drug and then not being able to stop again. This led to many treatments, physchiatrists, institution even jail as the
compulsion to use drugs controlled my life more and more. Eventually I was faced with suicide and death to be introduced to people who suffered the same way I did and new they had a disease called alcoholism and addiction.
Thats when my life changed and I learn't the effects of alcohol and drugs on my mind and gained the strength to say no to an alcoholand drugs no matter where I am because they lead me to a total life to immorality and corruption. Today I can enjoy a counter lunch at the pub or club and know I can choose to drink gamble and drug however say no because I now also know the effects one drink and/or drug will have on me and my family. I will become unreliable unmotivated to life and most uncaring to all those around me. Consequently my relationship to family employers peers and friends will dramatically change until I can no longer live with myself.I could not recover on my own and hence we founded the Australian Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence where people can reach out to for help and assistance to gain contact with other alcoholics and addicts and their families for information education and treatment.
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Topic: Re: Preventing Abuse and Harm
Author: Joerg Schmidt-Liermann | Posted: 26 Aug 2003 |
There are countless variables that have the potential to influence an individual's decision to consume alcohol to excess (alcohol abuse) and as a consequence, to experience harm both directly and to cause harm to others.
Fundamental to such a poor "choice", is the need to recognise that it is a choice, however flawed it may be, and predicated by a lack of information.
A key preventative measure should, in the experience of this writer, incorporate an educational strategy. A strategy, that commences in the primary school years, and highlights the "magic" of the human body and encourages our children to place greater emphasis and value on protecting this amasing asset that is our physical being; as well as targetting our older youth, as well as adults, in a manner that promotes the benefits and pleasure to be derived from leading healthy lives, whilst highlighting the pain and personal consequnces arising out of alcohol abuse. This could be achieved through broad awareness campaigns involving advertising or more direct educational opportunities to be attached to securing educational and vocational milestones (eg the attainment of car licenses, school matriculation etc.).
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Topic: Re: Preventing Abuse and Harm
Author: Jenny McInnes | Posted: 26 Aug 2003 |
There are several underlying causes, each of which must be looked at in order to fully address the problem. As a youth, most of my friends drink regularly, although underage, due to the perception of alcohol as a soft/harmless drug, although prohibited, it is still seen as socially acceptable. They drink because of boredom, and wanting to fit in. Rebellion, though usually bandied about, is a distinctly lesser reason. If you want reverse youth drinking trends, we have to look at the messages youth receive - from advertising, and at school. State sponsored ads are outnumbered 50 to 1 by liquor industry ads, and the education needs to focus on responsible choices and graphic depictions, rather than black and white facts and 'just say no'
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Topic: Re: Preventing Abuse and Harm
Author: Anne Southwell | Posted: 26 Aug 2003 |
As a parent and educator I am concerned at the casual representation of alcohol consumption on many TV shows. This looks very much like cigarette smoking did on TV in the past. TV characters as friends and work collegues depicted on common TV programs meet at the pub after work, offer each other drinks both on and off the job, in a way that is so 'normal' that children watching these shows would consider this behaviour 'normal' even if thier parents do not do this.
I feel this casual TV depiction of alcohol consumption gives it a crediability that it should not have.
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Topic: Re: Preventing Abuse and Harm
Author: Elizabeth mcKay | Posted: 30 Aug 2003 |
The social fabric of Aust society seems to be changing resulting in feeling of hopelessness (especially for youth). Ways to address: think about decentralisation to support rural areas, make education more available (no TAFE fees), support families from the birth of first child onwards, real employement. SOme of this is happening but needs to be increased and supported at all levels and all areas of govt and community. More money is not the answer - more commitment focused on sociology of power may help.
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Topic: Re: Preventing Abuse and Harm
Author: Jan Ward | Posted: 06 Sep 2003 |
I too am a parent and educator and agreeing with all the above comments. I feel the government needs to be active in reducing the harm associated with teen binge drinking, especially the rate girls are developing chirrosis of the liver in their 30s.
By legislating the liquor industry to only have 10grams of alcohol in every mixed drinks sold the following would occur:
1. The liver would have longer to process the alcohol being consumed
2. It would be easier to count the standard drinks, currently some sodas are 1.9 standard drinks
3. As many of the younger teens have limited funds reduce the quantity purchased
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