An invitation for Australian wine companies to partner in a new initiative to make a positive difference for young Australians.

I am inviting Australian wine companies to partner me in an initiative to equip parents to tackle the rising problem of under-age alcohol abuse in Australia.

The Under-Age Drinking Problem

While working as a high school teacher on the Gold Coast five years ago, I (Tyson) came to know the stories of under-age alcohol abuse first-hand. I became deeply concerned for our young people. Kids as young as eleven were deceiving their parents and taking bottles of spirits to large binge drinking parties in public places. Fifteen year olds drank themselves to the point of passing out and ended up in hospital to have their stomach pumped. A seventeen-year-old’s heart stopped in an ambulance. Resuscitated, she went straight back to alcohol and drugs the very next night. Another teenager wasn’t so lucky. A life ended by alcohol and drugs at just seventeen.

Every week in Australia, one teenager between the ages of 14 and 17 dies as a result of alcohol abuse¹. Rates of drinking at harmful levels among 12-17 year olds have doubled in the past two decades². According to the latest research, one in twenty 12-15 year olds engages in regular binge drinking, one in four 16-17 year olds and almost one in two 18-19 year olds³. One in two Australian teenagers who get drunk do something they regret⁴.

It’s time that more was done to save our young people.

A Solution

Any suggestion that the solution to Australia’s under-age alcohol abuse problem is increased alcohol prices through inflated taxation is grossly misinformed. Just six percent of under-age drinkers purchase alcohol themselves⁵. The other ninety-four percent would perhaps not even notice a price rise. Nor is the solution as simple as scare-tactic advertising campaigns.

After two decades working with teenagers and parents in school and church settings, I am convinced that the solution begins at home, in creating a positive culture of respectful use of alcohol at the right time, in the right place and at the right age.

It is a sad and distressing truth that more Australian 12-17 year olds obtain alcohol from a relative than any other source³. Many Australian families are looking for basic strategies and principles to help them in encouraging a responsible attitude toward alcohol among their teens. Some good resources are available online, but more printed educational materials are required.

­While working as a teacher some years ago, I developed resources for parents and students and presented education sessions in response to the challenge of teenage alcohol and parties. Recent enquiries from parents and community groups have prompted me to update my booklet A parents’ guide to teenage alcohol and parties and launch an initiative to put it into the hands of parents nationally.

A draft of the booklet can be found at http://www.winepress.com.au/brochure.pdf. A full-colour A5 booklet, it leads parents through eight pages of strategies for:

- Modelling good drinking behaviour
- Communicating with their teenager
- Starting the discussion young
- Negotiating the boundaries
- How to host a safe party
- Hosting over-18 parties
- Attending a party

You can help

I am seeking the support of wine companies to fund this initiative. While wine is not a significant contributor to the problem (accounting for less than ten percent of under-age drinking in Australia⁶), this is an opportunity for the wine industry to be seen to be a significant contributor to the solution.

In the second half of 2010, secondary schools across Australia will be invited to receive copies of A parents’ guide to teenage alcohol and parties for each of their families. These will be circulated prior to the critical period of schoolies week and end of year celebrations.

The target this year is to put this resource into 200 000 homes, representing about one-fifth of Australia’s high school families. The number of schools that we are able to supply is limited only by the winery sponsors committed to the project.

This is a not-for-profit endeavour. The cost of production, printing and distribution of the booklet is 20c, making the total cost of supplying an average school just $133.40. These figures include GST. Wine companies can commit to sponsoring as many schools as they are able. For instance, ten schools – $1 334, twenty schools  – $2 668, fifty schools – $6 670 and so on.

Contributions can be invoiced to the 2009-2010 financial year or the 2010-2011 financial year.

Participating wineries will be issued with a certificate detailing their involvement. Copies of the brochure will also be made available to be offered through cellar door or mailing list.

The project and a list of supporting wineries will be promoted to all Australian wine writers and through a number of print and online wine publications. The date for finalising commitments is July 31 2010.

Please take a look at the brochure at http://www.winepress.com.au/brochure.pdf and don’t hesitate to contact me at stelzer@winepress.com.au or 0402 821 230 if you have any queries.

I look forward to your support. This is a very small price to pay to make a positive difference for our young people.

References

1. Dr Christine Bennett, Chief Medical Officer, Bupa Australia.
2. Australian Secondary Students’ Alcohol and Drug Survey 2005.
3. National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2007.
4. National Binge Drinking Campaign Evaluation Survey 2009.
5. The Report on Australian Secondary Schools Students’ Use of Alcohol 2005 revealed that only 6% of 12-17 year olds purchase alcohol themselves. The National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2007 broke this down into 3.1% of 12-15-year-olds and 12.2% of 16-17-year-olds.
6. Trends in preferences for selected alcoholic drinks for 12-17 year old males and females in the National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2007 revealed that wine accounts for less than ten percent of under-age drinking, beer for more than twenty percent, and spirits, liqueurs and pre-mixers, seventy percent.