INDIGENOUS SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAM 2 INDIGENOUS SUBSTACNE USE PROGRAM Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Alcohol Use Prevention Program
Added on 2021-06-16
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Disease and DisordersHealthcare and ResearchPolitical Science
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Running head: INDIGENOUS SUBSTACNE USE PROGRAMAboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander alcohol use prevention programName of the StudentName of the UniversityAuthor Note
1INDIGENOUS SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAMIntroductionSubstance abuse, commonly referred to asdrug abuse, encompasses the patterned use ofdrugs, in instances where the consumer indulges in activities where the substance is consumed inamounts that are harmful to themselves and their surrounding people (D'Abbs, 2012). In otherwords, the term substance abuse refers to hazardous or harmful use of several psychoactivesubstances that include alcohol and illicit drugs. The use of psychoactive substancesmost oftenresult in onset of dependence syndrome (WHO, 2014). This condition is defined as a cluster ofcognitive, behavioral, and physiological phenomena, which develops after repeated substanceuse. This typically includes a strong desire to consume alcohol or a particular drug, followed bydifficulties in abstaining from its consumption (Doran &Tsey, 2013). This in turn contributes toharmful consequences that directly create an effect on the physical and mental health of theindividual. Substance use has been recognized as a major contributing factor to a plethora ofdiseases, illness, accidents, injury, crime, and violence, family disruption and workplaceconflicts (Shepherd et al., 2014). Upon comparison with the non-indigenous counterparts,Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have demonstrated a high proportion of alcohol use.Indigenous Australians were found to be twice likely as non-Indigenous Australians for bingedrinking (17% and 8%, respectively) in 2004-05 (Hudson,2011). Patterns of alcoholconsumption among indigenous Australians were found to differ by gender. Higher proportionsof men were found addicted to alcohol, than women, in 2008 (Australian Institute of Health andWelfare, 2011). This report will illustrate the effectiveness of alcohol management programs inreducing rates of problematic alcoholism among indigenous Australians, residing in rural andremote locations.
2INDIGENOUS SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAMDiscussionAlcohol Management PlansIn recent years, Alcohol Management Plans (AMPs) have gained recognition andimportance and have been recognized by the Australian government policies, in response tomitigating the harms that are caused by alcohol in the indigenous Australian communities(World Health Organization & World Health Organization. Management of Substance AbuseUnit, 2014). The AMPs have been developed while keeping the Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslanders central to the objective. These management plans were first enforced and implementedacross several communities, throughout northern Australia (The Lowitja Institute, 2018).However, little research had been conducted to document their effectiveness in illicit alcohol useprevention. One such program is the Alcohol Management Plan by the Queensland Government(Queensland Government, 2017). These AMPs were developed since 30 December 2002, andoperate across 19 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, present in 15 areas of thelocal government and were formulate with the aim of reducing prevalence of alcohol relatedviolence, against women and children (Queensland Treasury and Trade, 2011). Primary featureof this plan is attributed to the fact that it encompassed several restrictions on the quantity andtype of liquor consumed and considered violations of these restrictions as major offences underthe Sections 168B and C of Liquor Act 1992 (the Act). The basic success of this managementplan is related to the fact that it resulted in enforcement of laws in situations when the indigenousAustralians were found in possession of alcohol or attempted to bring alcohol in theircommunities, in excess of the limits set by alcohol restrictions (Queensland Government, 2017).Since the year 1979, approximately 100 indigenous communities residing in the NorthernTerritory have been found using the restricted area provisions, enlisted under Part VIII of the NT
3INDIGENOUS SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAMLiquor Act 1978, for either imposing a ban on or restricting the possession and consumption ofalcohol in their communities (Queensland Government, 2017). Furthermore, 10indigenouscommunities living in Western Australia had also declared themselves dry, under the section 175of the WA Liquor Control Act 1988, thereby enabling appropriate implementation of the alcoholrestriction or management strategies that were implemented by the government (Clough et al.,2016). A report ‘Little Children Are Sacred’ was commissioned by the NT government in 2007and focused on protection of Aboriginal children from abuse. Alcohol use restrictions were alsocoupled with vigilance on takeaway sales across Northern Territory and heavy penalties. Theyimposed fines up to $74,800 and/or 18 months imprisonment, for restriction breaches, in additionto signs present at entrance to communities (d'Abbs, 2015). Moreover, Aboriginal women inthetowns of Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek, Western Australia motivated the Director of LiquorLicensing for implementing restrictions to control takeaway alcohol strengths and imposelimitations on opening hours of pubs or taverns (Kumar &Klien, 2013). New liquor laws,introduced in 2008 in NSW were able to reform the legislation and authorized the Director ofLiquor and Gaming to determine complaints, and impose conditions on liquor license (Clough &Bird, 2015). The plan also got the power to declare curfews and lockouts for minimizing harmsassociated with alcohol abuse.Effectiveness of Alcohol Management PlanThe Alcohol Management Plans of Queensland were reviewed a year after theirenforcement, for assessing their direct or indirect effects on the indigenous population and theiralcohol use (Dossetoret al., 2017). The Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait IslanderPolicy developed a review team that gathered and interpreted data and also consulted withtheCommunity Justice Group, community members, local councils, and key stakeholders (Kumar
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