The peak body for Alcohol and Other Drugs treatment services in the Northern Territory has called on the new CLP government to retain minimum unit pricing, arguing it is an evidence-based policy to maintain community safety.
Alcohol-attributed death rates for Indigenous Territorians are ten times higher than the national average, and the Association of Alcohol and Other Drug Agencies Northern Territory (AADANT) has become the latest organisation to call on the new government to retain minimum unit pricing.
After welcoming the new government and saying they look forward to working with them on their approach to alcohol-related policy in the NT, AADANT executive officer Stephanie Holmes said the government had been elected with a "string mandate" to reduce alcohol-related societal issues.
"We urge the government to focus on alcohol policies with a strong evidence base and track record of making communities safer," Ms Holmes said.
"Minimum unit pricing is an example of a highly successful policy that has made the community safer, reduced alcohol-related harms and hospital admissions and saved taxpayers' money."
It comes after comments in August by Aboriginal Medical Services Northern Territory (AMSANT) chief executive Dr John Paterson, who argued removing the floor price would lead to more alcohol abuse, more crime and more disadvantage.
"It's a vicious cycle but for many people it all starts with cheap grog," Dr Paterson said.
"No one wants to see more harm in our communities and a floor price on alcohol is one important tool in the kit to manage the problem."
Ms Holmes said minimum unit pricing in the Darwin area had resulted in 14 per cent decline in alcohol-related assaults in the city, and across the NT, minimum unit pricing had reduced alcohol related emergency department presentations by 19 per cent.
"Minimum unit pricing protects the community from very cheap wine products widely promoted by the alcohol industry. Cask wine sales in Darwin halved after the minimum unit price was introduced," Ms Holmes said.
Ms Holmes disputed claims of the minimum unit price driving increases in the consumption of spirits, arguing no evidence existed linking the two.
Instead, AADANT argued removing the minimum unit price would make ethanol cheaper, in turn creating harm.
Furthermore, Ms Holmes said spirit consumption in the NT was increasing in the NT before the minimum unit pricing, as well as increasing outside the NT in areas where minimum unit pricing hadn't been introduced.
She argued the policy has resulted in a "reduction in alcohol-related assaults and alcohol-related hospital admissions" whilst not impacting moderate drinkers.
"Minimum unit pricing costs the government nothing to implement but saves taxpayers millions in reduced policing and health care costs," Ms Holmes said.
"Price policies are supported by strong evidence from all around the world. We understand that when alcohol prices drop, alcohol harms increase, and that's why it's critical that we retain the minimum unit price."
In August, Dr Paterson said the effectiveness of the floor price was waning, not because it does work, but because we have failed to index the floor price as originally promised, and Ms Holmes reiterated this, calling on the government to retain the policy, and consider introducing indexation, "as the legislation initially intended".
"This would make an already successful policy even more effective and would assist the Finocchiaro Government to deliver on its objectives of making the NT safer," she said.
"In pursuit of those important objectives, we encourage the government to focus on what works, what's keeping people safe, and what's reducing alcohol-related harms, based on the strong evidence we have on hand."
