Understanding the secondary supply of alcohol as a wicked policy problem: The unique case of the Banned Drinker Register in the Northern Territory (original) (raw)
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The Australian Economic Review, 1985
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BMJ Open, 2022
IntroductionThe Banned Drinker Register (BDR) was reintroduced in the Northern Territory (NT) in September 2017. The BDR is a supply reduction measure and involves placing people who consume alcohol at harmful levels on a register prohibiting the purchase, possession and consumption of alcohol. The current study aims to evaluate the impacts of the reintroduction of the BDR, in the context of other major alcohol policy initiatives introduced across the NT such as Police Auxiliary Liquor Inspectors and a minimum unit price for alcohol of US$1.30 per standard drink.Methods and analysesThe Learning from Alcohol (policy) Reforms in the Northern Territory project will use a mixed-methods approach and contain four major components: epidemiological analysis of trends over time (outcomes include health, justice and social welfare data); individual-level data linkage including those on the BDR (outcomes include health and justice data); qualitative interviews with key stakeholders in the NT (...
Drug and Alcohol Review, 2020
Introduction and Aims. The Northern Territory Government has recently planned and implemented an extensive suite of alcohol harm minimisation policies, including the reintroduction of the Banned Drinker Register (BDR). It is an explicit alcohol supply reduction measure that places persons who consume alcohol at harmful levels onto a register, prohibiting the purchase of alcohol from takeaway liquor outlets. This paper explores industry stakeholders' perspectives regarding the extent to which the BDR is meeting its objectives to improve community health and safety by reducing alcohol-related harms. Design and Methods. Interviews and one focus group were conducted with 66 alcohol industry stakeholders from urban and remote locations. Focusing on outcomes both central (crime and safety) and peripheral (health and therapeutic support) to the stakeholders' interest, the authors used inductive thematic analysis to examine participants' perceptions about the effectiveness of the BDR. Results. Analysis revealed mixed views about the effectiveness of the BDR. There is a tension between the objective to address public amenity and decrease crime, as expressed by the participants, compared to the health-focused approach to therapeutic services and referrals identified in other sources. Discussion and Conclusions. Drawing on these findings, alongside other relevant sources, the authors argue there is a need for a more effective communication strategy to the public and professional community to enhance the capacity of the BDR to meet its goals. The authors recognise the limitations of alcohol industry stakeholder views and identify the need for a comprehensive evaluation approach that includes multiple stakeholder perspectives. [Adamson E, Clifford S, Wallace T, Smith JA. Industry views about the Banned Drinker Register in the Northern Territory: Early lessons from a qualitative evaluation. Drug Alcohol Rev 2020]
PsycEXTRA Dataset
Introduction 1 2. A brief summary of methodological issues 3 3. The aggregate social costs of alcohol 5 4. Estimating the Feasible Minimum in practice 7 4.1 The Arcadian Normal 7 4.2 Exposure-based comparators 9 4.3 The effectiveness of interventions 11 4.3.1 The basis for the choice of effective policies 11 4.3.2 Difficulties in aggregating the economic benefits of individual policies 4.3.3 Retaining the protective health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption 5. The intervention choices 5.1 Alcohol taxation 5.1.1 Potential reductions in social costs from the use of alcohol taxation 5.2 Bans on alcohol advertising 5.2.1 Potential reductions in social costs resulting from advertising bans 5.2.2 The impact of alcohol advertising bans on the overall social costs of alcohol abuse 5.2.3 The estimated impact of alcohol advertising bans on the social costs of alcohol-attributable road accidents 5.2.4 Maintaining advertising bans iv 5.3 Measures to reduce drink driving 5.3.1 Greater enforcement of random breath testing 5.3.2 Reducing the blood alcohol concentration level 5.3.3 Conclusions from the research evidence 5.3.4 Potential reductions in social costs from anti-drink-driving policies 5.4 Brief interventions for reducing hazardous alcohol consumption 5.4.1 The impact of brief interventions on the overall social costs of alcohol abuse 6. Effective interventions whose benefits cannot be evaluated 6.1 Control of drinking environments 6.2 Alcohol ignition locks 6.3 Guidelines for low-risk drinking 6.4 Standard drinks labelling and health warnings on drinks containers 6.5 Other interventions 7. Summary of results 8. Conclusions 8.1 Policy implications 8.2 Methodological implications 9. Research recommendations 9.1 Policy effectiveness 9.2 Alcohol demand elasticities 9.3 Time periods over which policy benefits accrue 9.4 The macroeconomic impact of alcohol interventions 9.5 Revision of the avoidable cost guidelines Appendix A. Methodological issues A1. The nature of avoidable costs A2. Reasons for estimating avoidable costs Priority for substance abuse expenditures Appropriate targeting of specific problems Identification of information gaps and research needs Provision of baseline measures to determine the efficiency of drug policies and programs
Introduction and Aims. To delineate what type and how much alcohol is purchased from different types of off-licence premises and how this varies across demographic subgroups , as a basis for public debate and decisions on pricing and planning policies to reduce alcohol-related harm in Australia. Design and Methods. The data on alcohol purchasing from off-licence premises are taken from the Australian Alcohol Consumption and Purchasing survey—a nationally representative landline and mobile telephone survey in 2013 on the experiences with alcohol consumption and purchasing of 2020 Australians aged 16+. The present analysis uses data from 1730 respondents who purchased alcohol from off-licence premises in the previous 6 months. Results. The majority (54%) of alcohol purchased from off-licence premises was sold from liquor barns (large warehouse-style alcohol stores), with bottle shops (31%) the second most common outlet. Cask wine was the cheapest alcohol available at off-licence premises in Australia. Respondents in higher alcohol purchasing quintiles and with those with lower income purchased a higher percentage of cheaper alcohol in their total volume of purchasing than lower purchasing quintiles and those with middle and higher income, and younger respondents purchased more expensive alcohol than older age groups. Discussion and Conclusions. A minimum unit price or increasing alcohol taxes may effectively reduce alcohol purchasing for lower income heavy alcohol purchasers and older age groups from off-licence premise sources, and may be less effective on younger age groups. [Jiang H, Callinan S, Livingston M, Room R. Off-premise alcohol purchasing in Australia: Variations by age group, income level and annual amount purchased. Drug Alcohol Rev 2016;00:000–000]
Australian Alcohol Policy 2001-2013 and implications for public health
Background: Despite a complex and multi-faceted alcohol policy environment in Australia, there are few comprehensive reviews of national and state alcohol policies that assess their effectiveness and research support. In mapping the Australian alcohol policy domain and evaluating policy interventions in each of the core policy areas, this article provides a useful resource for researchers. The implications for protecting public health emanating from this mapping and evaluation of alcohol policy are also discussed. Methods: This review considered data from: published primary research; alcohol legislation, strategies and alcohol-related press releases for all levels and jurisdictions of Australian government; international publications by prominent non-governmental organisations; and relevant grey literature. These were organised and evaluated using the established framework offered by Thomas Babor and colleagues. Results: Findings indicated great variability in alcohol initiatives across Australia, many of which do not reflect what is currently considered to be evidence-based best practice. Conclusions: Research showing increasing alcohol-related harms despite steady levels of consumption suggests a need to pursue alcohol policy initiatives that are supported by evidence of harm-reduction. Future initiatives should aim to increase existing alcohol controls in line with suggested best practice in order to protect public health in Australia.
Drug and Alcohol Review, 2009
Introduction and Aims. Drawing on 16 items in the 2004 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS), the paper explores the degree to which Australian public opinion towards different alcohol policies cohere or diverge, and the social location of support for and resistance to more restrictive alcohol controls. Variations in support for particular policies by demographic groups, across states and territories and among those with difference drinking patterns are explored. The extent and direction in which attitudes have changed over time was determined. Design and Methods. Sixteen items from the 2004 NDSHS were subjected to factor analysis. Both a single factor and a four-factor solution were derived and became the dependent variables for state/territory comparisons and multiple regression analyses determining the predictive power of respondents demographics and drinking behaviour. Trends over time in alcohol policy attitudes used the 1993, 1995, 1998, 2001 and 2004 NDSHS. Results. More severe penalties against drink driving and stricter laws against serving customers who were drunk had the strongest support while policies that controlled accessibility to alcohol such as reducing trading hours received the least support. For all policies support was greater among females, older respondents and those drinking less. The individual's drinking pattern was as strong, and in some cases a stronger predictor of support than gender and age. Discussion and Conclusions. While support for the majority of the alcohol policies decreased over the 11-year period since 1993, attitudes may be influenced and changed over a shorter period of time.[Wilkinson C, Room R, Livingston M. Mapping Australian public opinion on alcohol policies in the new millennium. Drug Alcohol Rev 2009]
Mapping Australian public opinion on alcohol policies in the new millennium
Drug and Alcohol Review, 2009
Introduction and Aims. Drawing on 16 items in the 2004 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS), the paper explores the degree to which Australian public opinion towards different alcohol policies cohere or diverge, and the social location of support for and resistance to more restrictive alcohol controls. Variations in support for particular policies by demographic groups, across states and territories and among those with difference drinking patterns are explored.The extent and direction in which attitudes have changed over time was determined. Design and Methods. Sixteen items from the 2004 NDSHS were subjected to factor analysis. Both a single factor and a four-factor solution were derived and became the dependent variables for state/territory comparisons and multiple regression analyses determining the predictive power of respondents demographics and drinking behaviour.Trends over time in alcohol policy attitudes used Results. More severe penalties against drink driving and stricter laws against serving customers who were drunk had the strongest support while policies that controlled accessibility to alcohol such as reducing trading hours received the least support. For all policies support was greater among females, older respondents and those drinking less.The individual's drinking pattern was as strong, and in some cases a stronger predictor of support than gender and age. Discussion and Conclusions. While support for the majority of the alcohol policies decreased over the 11-year period since 1993, attitudes may be influenced and changed over a shorter period of time. [Wilkinson C, Room R, Livingston M. Mapping Australian public opinion on alcohol policies in the new millennium. Drug Alcohol Rev 2009;28:263-274]