Alcohol misuse 'costs Australia $36bn'

Police and doctors groups say a report showing the massive human toll, and $36
billion annual cost, from alcohol misuse is a wake-up call for government and the
Australian community.
The research, released in Canberra on Tuesday, estimated 70,000 Australians would
become a victim of an alcohol-related assault this year and 24,000 of these were
victims of domestic violence.
There would also be 20,000 children across Australia who would become victims of
substantiated alcohol-related child abuse, according to the Range and Magnitude of
Alcohol's Harm to Others report.
The Police Association of NSW said the statistics were alarming and added weight to
their call for earlier hotel closing hours, lockouts to new customers from 1am and
restrictions on the sale of shots and hard liquor.
"Today's report found that 70,000 people fall victim to alcohol-related assaults
every year, a majority of which are likely linked to hotels, pubs and clubs," said
associated secretary Peter Remfrey.
"If the NSW government was serious about cracking down on alcohol abuse and crime,
they would agree to our call for a three-month trial of a 3am closing times for pubs
and hotels."
The association said a trial of similar reforms in Newcastle showed the measures
could reduce alcohol-related assaults by almost 30 per cent.
The NSW branch of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) also described the
statistics as a "sobering reminder to the community".
"This report highlights that it's not just the drinker who is hurt by alcohol
abuse," AMA (NSW) president Dr Michael Steiner said.
"It shows that in 2005, there were 367 deaths and 13,669 hospitalisations because of
the drinking of others.
"Imagine the relief on the health system if we could reduce this incredible number
of avoidable hospitalisations."
The research by the Australian Education and Rehabilitation Foundation (AER
Foundation) put the total economic impact of alcohol misuse at $36 billion per annum
and significantly up on previous estimates.
This comprises $24.7 billion in tangible costs, which include out-of-pocket
expenses, forgone wages or productivity and hospital and childcare protection costs.
There are a further $11.6 billion in intangible costs, which includes lost quality
of life from someone else's drinking.
But these figures are contested by the Distilled Spirits Industry Council of
Australia (DSICA), which argues the modelling does not factor in alcohol's various
positive effects on the economy.
DSICA Manager Information and Research Stephen Riden said Australians spent about
$17.5 billion on beer, wine and spirits in a year, spending that underpinned jobs in
hospitality and other sectors.
"They absolutely have no factor for the economic activity generated by alcohol," Mr
Riden said.
"We don't think a mainstream or credible economist would come up with anything like
these amounts (in terms of alcohol misuse costs)."
Mr Riden also said imposing new restrictions on hard liquor would shift consumption
patterns and not reduce total alcohol consumption, while lockouts were trialled in
Melbourne with "very mixed response".
Other key statistics include that almost a third (29 per cent) of the adult
population report being negatively affected by the drinking of someone who was known
to them.
Women nominate being negatively affected by the drinking of a relative, or household
member, more frequently than men (14 per cent to eight per cent).