Alcopop tax not enough

Alcohol is one of the most abused substances in the Australian community. Alcohol providers are targeting young people in particular in advertising and media, and through providing an increasing array of attractive ready-to-drink mixed drinks. A major culture change is required to assist Australians in cutting down alcohol abuse and in particular binge drinking, which affects individuals, families and whole communities.

The Australian Psychological Society supports the government’s 70% tax on “alcopops”, but argues that the tax should be extended to all but low alcohol content drinks. 

“Alcohol is the most abused substance in Australian society and the costs to the community are very high” said APS President Amanda Gordon. “New ways to discourage teenage binge drinking are important in tackling Australian booze culture.” But Gordon says that by itself, a tax on alcopops is not enough.

The tax on ‘alcopops’ is an example of one attempt at demand reduction, which are strategies designed to prevent the uptake of harmful alcohol use. However, the APS’s recently developed position statement on substance use argues that a comprehensive and multi-faceted range of prevention and treatment approaches are needed to address this complex issue. These approaches need to include supply reduction (strategies designed to control the supply of alcohol) and harm reduction (strategies designed to reduce alcohol-related harm for individuals and communities), as well as a diverse range of effective demand reduction strategies.

While the ‘alcopop’ tax is an example of a targeted measure designed to offset the enticement of young people into an alcohol-soaked culture, such legislation—by itself—will not change Australia’s drinking culture.

(Source: Australian Psychological Society: June 2008)