Yass Valley Council: News: Think About the Dangers of Alcohol

Think About the Dangers of Alcohol

Last modified: December 8, 2008 - 10:44 AM

The Yass Valley Community Drug Action Team is launching a poster and coaster competition to get youth and adults to think about the dangers of alcohol. Cathy Campbell, speaking on behalf of the Yass Valley Community Drug Action Team, said: "As we’re all aware, alcohol misuse can lead to all sorts of problems, including alcohol poisoning, drink-driving, violent or aggressive behaviour, risky sexual behaviour and problems in the workplace."

A recent survey conducted by the Yass Valley Community Drug Action Team about alcohol and drug use showed that Yass Valley has high levels of alcohol consumption amongst people as young as 15 years old. This trend is in line with national data.

According to the Australian National Council on Drugs Report (2008),

in any given week nationwide

approximately 1 in 10 (or 168,000) 12 to 17 year olds reported binge drinking/drinking to harmful levels.
1 in 10 (or 31, 325) 15 years old reported binge drinking and at least 451,621 children live in a household where they are at risk of exposure to binge drinking by one adult.

Up to 1 in 2 young Australians place themselves at risk of alcohol related brain damage. Levels of alcohol consumption considered to be safe for adults do not apply to young people as young adult brains are more sensitive to the harmful effects of alcohol. Alcohol can have a devastating effect on the young brain, which does not finish developing until the age of 25.

Following a period of national decline in death rates during the 1990s, in more recent years, several states/territories have begun to show increasing numbers of alcohol-attributable deaths.

The most common causes of alcohol-attributable death for young people are road injury, suicide and violence.

Male alcohol-attributable death rates are about 4 times greater than for females.

Young Indigenous Australians are more than twice as likely as their non-Indigenous counterparts to die from alcohol-attributable causes. Death rates among Indigenous youth have not improved in the last 8 years.

Young people who live in non-metropolitan areas are at greater risk of alcoholattributable death than city.

Risky drinking is a great concern for parents and publicans alike in the Yass Valley and the Yass Valley Community Drug Action Team hopes that this project will reinforce the message to both adults and youth that risky drinking can have dire health consequences.

The competition is open to youth aged between 15 – 19 years throughout the area. The competition requires youth to design a poster and/or drink coaster about one or more of the long term effects of alcohol consumption. These will be used by local publicans and liquor outlets to promote and reinforce the message to the wider community.

First prize includes an IPOD Nano (valued at $190.00). The first prize winner will also be granted local exposure in having their winning poster printed and displayed in liquor outlets across Yass Valley. The Yass Valley Community Drug Action Team will fund the cost of printing and distribution.

The closing date for the competition is 15 December 2008. More information about the dangers of alcohol consumption, specifications for the poster and coaster competition and terms and condition of entry are attached.

Contact details
Yass Valley Council
Tel: 02 6226 1477
Fax: 02 6226 2598
Council@yass.nsw.gov.au

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