The Tasmanian Government has been developing a new Drug Strategy for 2023-2028. The Strategy is intended to provide a whole-of-government and whole-of-community framework to enhance the health, safety, and wellbeing of all Tasmanians. FARE responded to the final Consultation Draft, and to the Consultation Paper.
FARE recommendations:
Vision, aim, principles and strategic objectives
- take a ‘social and commercial determinants of health’ approach, by regulating the inherent conflicts of interest between alcohol harm minimisation, and alcohol companies and their lobbyists.
Prevention
- build on successful awareness campaigns that avoid stigma such as FARE’s National Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awareness Campaign ‘Every Moment Matters’.
- exclude alcohol companies and their lobby groups from any involvement in the development, delivery or promotion of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs (ATOD) education and resources.
Alcohol
- exclude alcohol companies and their lobby groups from membership and involvement in the Alcohol Advisory Group.
- follow the priorities of the National Alcohol Strategy in the Alcohol Action Plan.
- follow the priorities of the National FASD Strategic Action Plan in the FASD Action Plan.
- add activities about regulating online sale and delivery, and promotion and marketing.
Interventions and treatment
- prioritise funding treatment services, recognising the significant need, significant underfunding, and the significant return on health investment in funding treatment.
Evidence base
- include policies with an identified evidence base in the implementation plans, including FASD prevention, online sales and delivery of alcohol, and digital alcohol marketing.
- identify evidence and data gaps and commission relevant research.
- exclude alcohol companies and their lobby groups from any funding or involvement in the development of the evidence base.
Consultation paper
- address items excluded from this Strategy eg. zero alcohol, liquor licencing and online sales and delivery.
- specify 2 Two-Year Implementation Action Plans covering each of the Action Areas, with the first to be launched at the end of the first year of this Strategy.