All members of Parliament, treatment, law enforcement, researchers and other experts, community leaders and industry representatives were invited. Over 300 people attended and participated in the proceedings over four days. The Summit was preceded by special forums for young people and for Aboriginal people. Delegates from these forums brought recommendations to the Summit. Over 300 public submissions were also received.

This report addresses the 318 recommendations documented in the Summit Communiqué and has been informed by the public submissions and other forums.

The Summit heard from expert speakers and submissions that:

alcohol abuse costs New South Wales $7 million each day through lost labour and productivity, and the costs arising from crime, road accidents and to the health system
more than 3,000 deaths per annum in Australia are attributed to alcohol abuse, second only to tobacco as a preventable cause of death and hospitalisation
alcohol was identified as a factor in 21 percent of all road fatalities in New South Wales in 2002, but the figure was 38 percent in country areas
twelve percent of suicides, 16 percent of child abuse cases, 44 percent of fire injuries, 34 percent of falls and drowning, are associated with alcohol consumption
alcohol dependence is the third leading cause of disability accounting for about five percent of the total disease burden in Australia (costs to the health system of $225 million in 1998/1999)
alcohol was involved in 41 percent of incidents of physical violence and 38 percent of sexual assaults experienced by women; younger women and Aboriginal women are most at risk of such violence
more than 75 percent of male inmates imprisoned for assault offences were affected by alcohol at the time of the offence
75 percent of street incidents attended by Police in six Eastern Sydney patrols involved alcohol and 60 percent of these occurred near licensed premises
the proportion of both male and female drinkers reporting heavy drinking days was highest in the 16 to 24 years of age group
Department of Community Services’ case workers estimate that between 75 and 90 percent of their cases involved problematic alcohol or drug misuse
although the proportion of Aboriginal people who consume alcohol is less than for the general population, a greater percentage of Aboriginal people who consume alcohol do so at harmful levels
sports people often consume excessive amounts of alcohol, with drinking to celebrate a sporting victory a common trend.

All these statistics translate into a serious impact on individuals, families and local communities.

The Government’s response to the Summit has the long term goal of changing the way the community uses and thinks about alcohol - to achieve a downward trend in irresponsible drinking behaviour, alcohol related incidents of violence, injury and disease, and an upward trend in research activities and accessibility of treatment and other programs.

The plan has the short term goals of improving and better targeting services and programs to deal with the effects of alcohol misuse, as well as fostering a better understanding of the causes, effects and means of addressing alcohol abuse by the community and industry.

The NSW Government’s plan is built around the following broad actions:

More education and communication about alcohol through:

a new NSW Alcohol Communications Plan
a community drug and alcohol action program
encouraging safe drinking practices and positive role models in sports clubs and associations
a new information program for families
new resources and programs in schools
a new alcohol information website
support and information for youth workers, health professionals, and local government road safety officers.

Improving the well-being of families and young people through:

new intensive family preservation services
a review of promoting alcohol to minors
routine domestic violence screening for women attending drug and alcohol facilities and antenatal services
an adolescent and families counselling project
professional workshops for teachers to support implementation of Aboriginal drug and alcohol resources
a families and carers training project
promotion of alcohol free events for young people.

More targeted health and treatment services through:

a new ten year Drug and Alcohol Treatment Services Development Plan to incorporate alcohol into a model of care and improved directions for clinical services, including detoxification and treatment
new guidelines for drug and alcohol case management and treatment and a quality framework for managing treatment services
improved approaches for after care and relapse prevention
improved services and training for Aboriginal communities.

Pevention of injury and trauma through:

random alcohol testing in transport operators and on waterways
new powers for Courts to provide treatment or education as part of sentencing
an improved water safety plan focusing on alcohol use around aquatic activities
new zero blood alcohol limits for L and P plate drivers
a Country Road Safety Summit to look at ways of reducing trauma on country roads.

Building the capacity of the workforce through:

development of a comprehensive agenda for cost effective training and workforce development activity in the government and non-government sectors
development of a model for work exchange/assignments between government and non government sectors
promotion of drug and alcohol training as part of higher education such as nursing, medicine, teachings, social work and for managers in workplaces.

Dealing with alcohol related crime through:

development of legislative proposals on alcohol related offences and law enforcement
a project to target licensed premises with irresponsible drinking practices
mandatory and strengthened liquor accords in all local area commands
pilot programs to divert offenders charged with alcohol related crimes to treatment programs by the Courts.

Promoting responsible service and supply through:

new guidelines and broadening of responsible service requirements and training
ensuring monitoring and assistance with complaints about licensing issues
developing a “best practice” liquor accord model including responsible service and supply initiatives.

Regular monitoring and coordination of alcohol abuse initiatives through:

oversight of the Alcohol Summit response implementation by the Cabinet Standing Committee on Drugs and Alcohol and the NSW Expert Advisory Group on Drugs and Alcohol
ensuring that all key programs are evaluated
continuing the on-going partnership established by the Summit with the alcohol industry, scientific and medical experts and the broader community
the Special Minister of State assuming responsible for coordination of alcohol policy.

The key action areas contain a range of initiatives for Aboriginal communities. There are also initiatives for people in rural communities, women, young people and people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

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