Vol 8 No 4 April 2008 Features Hard hitting ads ZEALAND to tackle binge aipiro o Aotearoa COUNCIL OF NEW drinking culture VISORY Whakatupato W ALCOHOL AD Kaunihera A matter of conscience i 44-1-1 113116031160 AALCADVLCADV oorgrg MMarch08.iniarch08.ini i 117/04/20087/04/2008 112:03:432:03:43 PPMM alcohol.org.nz is published quarterly by the Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand / te Kaunihera Whakatupato Waipiro o Aotearoa. An editorial committee oversees the newsletter. The next issue of alcohol.org.nz will be published in June 2008. To receive a copy, contact: Alcohol Advisory Council PO Box 5023 Lambton Quay The Alcohol Advisory Council of ALAC’s aims are pursued through Wellington 6145 New Zealand was established by a policy liaison and advocacy, information New Zealand 1976 Act of Parliament, under the name and communication, research, Phone 04 917 0060 the Alcoholic Liquor Advisory Council intersectoral and community initiatives, Call free 0508 258 258 (ALAC), following a report by the Royal and treatment development. ALAC is Fax 04 473 0890 Commission of Inquiry into the Sale funded by a levy on all liquor imported Email [email protected] of Liquor. into, or manufactured in, New Zealand © ALAC 2008 for sale and employs 30 staff. The The Commission recommended alcohol.org.nz Council currently has eight members establishing a permanent council ISSN 1175-2831 (Print) and reports to the Minister of Health. whose aim was to encourage ISSN 1177-9578 (Online) responsible alcohol use and Editor/writer: Lynne Walsh minimise misuse. 44-1-1 113116031160 AALCADVLCADV oorgrg MMarch08.iniiarch08.inii iiii 117/04/20087/04/2008 112:03:592:03:59 PPMM April 2008 Contents Message from the CEO 2 Message from the Minister 3 ALAC Campaign 4 A Matter of Conscience 8 One Way Door Remains Open 12 Health Benefits of Alcohol 14 New Faces at ALAC 18 Upcoming Conferences 19 Parihaka International Peace Festival 20 1 44-1-1 113116031160 AALCADVLCADV oorgrg MMarch08.in1arch08.in1 1 117/04/20087/04/2008 112:04:002:04:00 PPMM Message from the CEO Kia ora, Kia orana, Ni sa bula, Namaste, Taloha ni, Malo e lelei, Fakaalofa atu, Halo olaketa, Talofa lava, Greetings... Family Planning says the campaign highlights the realities of what can happen when alcohol blurs people’s decision-making capacity. Jigsaw Family Services says it is important to get As we expected ALAC’s new ad people in homes and communities talking about binge drinking, and the new campaign shows the negative impact binge drinking campaign has elicited some strong can have on children and families across New Zealand. responses, both positive and negative. We have also had some complaints – as is peoples’ right – particularly about the ads screening during times children are watching television. Some of these complaints have been made On the positive side, we have had direct to ALAC, while others have been taken to the Advertising Standards Authority. great support from a number of It is always difficult to communicate a strong message without going beyond what some people believe is acceptable. In the agencies – including Jigsaw, the case of this campaign, we feel it is time to be honest about some Family Planning Association, and of the worst effects of intoxication. The ads aim to get New Zealanders thinking about the personal Children’s Commissioner Cindy Kiro. costs of binge drinking – to themselves, and their friends and family. To get this message across realistically, we had to show All have put out supportive media some of the real consequences. Unfortunately, the situations portrayed in the three commercials mirror what is happening in releases, with Cindy Kiro saying she New Zealand every day. The new commercials have got people talking – let’s take this is heartened to see children and opportunity to keep the debate going. Only by having these discussions will we continue to find ways to help people who are young people have been considered worried about their drinking or the drinking of others; and ways to address this binge drinking culture of ours. in the planning of the campaign. Gerard Vaughan CEO 2 44-1-1 113116031160 AALCADVLCADV oorgrg MMarch08.in2arch08.in2 2 117/04/20087/04/2008 112:04:002:04:00 PPMM Hard hitting ads show reality of alcohol abuse The ads feature a drunk woman who is dragged away from a pub by an undesirable man, a drunk man playing with a child and smashing him into a wall accidentally, and a drunk, Recently I launched ALAC’s new bloodied man lying on the bathroom floor of his home much television ads with Gerard Vaughan to the dismay of his young daughter who finds him. We want people to reflect on the messages contained in at Parliament. the ads and relate them to their own perspectives and experiences, in turn changing their harmful drinking habits. The ads show the realities many New Zealanders are faced The ads focus on the harm that can with every weekend and we want the ads to make people think about the harm they can cause their friends, their be caused by binge drinking. They families and themselves through poor choices they make due to excessive drinking. are hard hitting, designed to shock, We have faced up to the fact that New Zealand has an unhealthy drinking culture and we’re doing something and they’re a big step up from the about it. campaign that has run over the past We all know that alcohol contributes to a lot of our crime, particularly violence. Police are taking an increasingly two years. tough stance on policing alcohol breaches and we are also attempting to change attitudes and behaviours around excessive drinking. This is exactly what this campaign I believe people will be highly aims to do. These ads have that extra kick and we hope they will get shocked by the scenarios in the through to people in a big way and that we’ll start to see New Zealand’s unhealthy binge drinking culture changing, ads; I know I was. But we make no as people start to think more and more about the effects their drinking may have on themselves and others. apologies for this. The sad reality is I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate that the things they demonstrate ALAC for its great work on the campaign so far. I look forward are happening every week in to hearing about the success of this latest part of your New Zealand. programme to change New Zealand’s unhealthy drinking culture. Hon Damien O’Connor Associate Minister of Health 3 44-1-1 113116031160 AALCADVLCADV oorgrg MMarch08.in3arch08.in3 3 117/04/20087/04/2008 112:04:032:04:03 PPMM Graphic new a show consequences of Graphic images of all-too-common message, It’s not the drinking, consequences of binge drinking it’s how we’re drinking. feature in a hard-hitting advertising campaign launched by ALAC this ALAC CEO Gerard Vaughan says month. The commercials are part he makes no excuses for the hard- of an ongoing campaign to address hitting nature of the campaign, as it New Zealanders’ propensity to takes an honest approach to what is binge drink. a serious problem for many people. The new campaign was launched “The commercials mirror the serious by Associate Minister of Health effects of alcohol misuse and do not Hon Damien O’Connor on 2 April. exaggerate what is happening every week around New Zealand. The commercials show people making poor and dangerous choices after “They aim to get New Zealanders excessive drinking, and illustrate thinking about the personal costs of realistic transformations – when good binge drinking – to them, and their times turn bad. They continue the friends and family.” 4 44-1-1 113116031160 AALCADVLCADV oorgrg MMarch08.in4arch08.in4 4 117/04/20087/04/2008 112:04:142:04:14 PPMM ads f binge drinking ALAC’s drinking culture campaign is part of a programme of “ We must increase the number of work designed to change the current environment of tolerance of drunkenness, binge drinking and intoxication. drinkers who think about “We must increase the number of drinkers who think about the effects of getting drunk and the effects of getting drunk and who agree it is never okay to get drunk. We want people to reflect on the messages from their own who agree it is never okay to get perspective and experiences, and consider changing harmful drinking habits,” Mr Vaughan says. drunk. We want people to reflect Each of the three commercials follows one person from when on the messages from their own they start drinking to a shocking conclusion. We see ‘Uncle Mark’ having a few beers at a barbeque, ‘Lisa’ having drinks after perspective and experiences, work, and ‘Danny’ drinking at the local pub or sports club. Uncle and consider changing harmful Mark is a show-off drinker, Lisa is drinking to boost her confidence, and Danny is a team drinker. drinking habits” As they continue to drink, there is a ‘tipping point’ when their harmless behaviour becomes harmful – to themselves and others. We follow them along their drinking pathway as they continue to make poor choices due to the volume of alcohol consumed. continued over 5 44-1-1 113116031160 AALCADVLCADV oorgrg MMarch08.in5arch08.in5 5 117/04/20087/04/2008 112:04:142:04:14 PPMM Graphic new a show consequences of “ Consequences of binge drinking The commercials include information about how to get help if you are concerned about your drinking, or the drinking of others.