alcohol

A report of the Disability Rights Commissioner and Children’s Commissioner to the Prime Minister on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: A Call To Action released today, highlights multiple systemic failures within the healthcare system. These failures continue to disadvantage individuals and whānau living with FASD in Aotearoa, especially Māori women and children.

This week a collective of mana whenua, Māori health providers, advocates and community take their concerns about alcohol harm inequities to a symposium held at Middlemore Hospital.

 The report shows that Māori who drink alcohol and live in deprived circumstances are less likely to have a harmful relationship with alcohol if they speak te reo Māori.

Alcohol Healthwatch and Maori Public Health provider Hapai te Hauora strongly support the new Government’s commitment to addressing the growing needs and inequities surrounding mental health and addictions.

Anthony Hawke of Hapai te Hauora says, “The announcement of the Mental Health Inquiry is opportune as we mark the 5th birthday of our new liquor laws. The links between our growing problem with drinking and poor mental health need to be addressed. The Government was right to include addictions into the inquiry into mental health. In 2012 we had the chance to raise the price of alcohol and save lives. We didn't. Our communities paid the price. Now is the time for this to be remedied.”

Public health groups are thrilled that the five-year legal battle to set a floor price for alcohol in Scotland has finally reached its conclusion. On Wednesday, the UK Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Scottish Government to allow implementation of its Minimum Unit Pricing legislation of 50 pence per standard drink to save lives and reduce crime.