Yes DD and none of this abuse happens without CASH!

In all of the mostly unrealistic and inane comments I did not see anyone mention the term 'rehabilitation'. Making alcohol more expensive or harder to obtain will not address the problem and could make it worse. Do you know what an an addict will do when the substance of choice is not available? They will invariably seek out another regardless of its legality. There is already a massive drug problem in many Aboriginal communities and creating a larger market by making alcohol more expensive is not a solution.

What is needed are more detox and rehabilitation facilities...not just in Aboriginal communities but across Australia. Try getting into a facility and unless you are rich or a celebrity it is so difficult...even more so if you have job and financial commitments. A whole new approach is needed as alcohol is causing problems for every community.

If you compare the aid and supports offered to smokers to that for alcoholics what is there? The occasional ad for AA, which has a success rate of around 2%. And good luck running AA meetings in many Aboriginal communities. The government rakes in billions from alcohol sales and puts a miniscule amount back into rehabilitation. Heck, you can't even do a detox in a public hospital anymore...they don't want you taking up a bed.

Some contributors on here need a reality check when it comes to alleviating alcoholism. Price rises will do nothing but create other problems. What is needed is dedicated support and rehabilitation programs…oh but they cost money don’t they so that won’t be done. In which case you reap what you sow…failure.

Minotaur is ignorant, at least in some respects. Massive international research shows rehab for alcohol abusers is rarely effective; compared to other investments of taxpayers' funds, it is not really responsible to put too much funds into rehab, except in those rare circumstances where it is proving to be cost effective.
Supply reduction has been shown to be by far the most effective way to reduce alcohol-related problems. The alleged universal displacement to drugs is a fallacy; the usual pattern is partial displacement, with an overall beneficial balance, with reduction of overall addictions and misuse rates.
There is excess capacity of rehab beds in relation to Aboriginal alcohol users in many parts of Australia. If it wasn't for referrals by courts, very few beds would be filled in many of these facilities.

Ignorant in some respects...really Dan? Have you spent time in rehab facilities for Aboriginal people? I have mate. And rehab is far more effective than AA or NA alone. You will also find that rehab itself is very successful if there are support structures in place once people leave...it is when those support structures are not in place or not used that failure occurs.

Any addiction is difficult to overcome in the long term but are you seriously suggesting rehab is a waste of time and funds? And if you had spent time with alcoholics/addicts you would find that there is a great deal of substitution when the substance of choice is not available. That substitution can involve illicit and licit substances.

If there is any ignorance at play it is from those with no experience of addiction and those who battle to keep it at bay.

Dan F,

Surely a multi-pronged approach would be required to address alcohol abuse in its many evident facets - limiting supply in some areas, increasing its price, a concerted media and education campaign to communicate the social dangers and detrimental health resultants of excessive or habitual alcohol consumption, and a concerted effort to provide meaningful occupation and/or employment for everyone physically and mentally capable of such a re-direction of their time and energy.
After all, what is the use of rehabilitation services if people don't realise they have a problem in the first instance, and if there is no useful alternative (and hopefully meaningful) occupation for them after their rehab?
Alcohol abuse, or misuse, is a 'societal' or 'cultural' retrograde derivative in some quarters - as in some 'camp' situations, and as in binge drinking and excessive consumption by many of our youth at large, leading to rowdy, ill-disciplined and sometimes aggressive and bullying behaviour - and most likely can only be addressed and remediated by a shift in cultural and societal norms, including through education, a crackdown on anti-social behaviour, limiting opening hours of pubs, clubs and nightspots, limiting supply to youth at bottle shops, etc, and a general lack of tolerance of alcohol abuse and misbehaviour by our society at large and in all quarters.

Only a targeted approach could have any chance of success, and no strategy can be of long lasting effect without taking proper account of the very real psychological and cultural vectors at play in the use and abuse of alcohol or any other drug in and by our society. One size does not fit all, but an overall rejection of the misuse of any drug should be the overriding objective. Nothing less will do.

I know, let's have another enquiry, we can even pay some retired judge a couple of million (borrowed money of cause) so we can all feel warm and fuzzy as at least we would be doing something about it.

Or, we could simply address the issues that aid the problem in many cases.

Cash, and no job.

Then, we can start punishing the offenders and when they are under age, punish the parents.

,meanwhile, us sensible drinkers can get back to our affordable beers.