Helping reduce harm from alcohol

Community and Public Health has several important roles relating to the prevention of alcohol-related harm in our region. These include health promotion, regulation and licensing, and local policy development.

There are a wide range of effects on communities from alcohol-related harm. Alcohol-related harm contributes to health conditions, injuries and social problems – costing the health sector and other sectors significant time, money and resources.

The figure above shows the vision and priorities of the Christchurch Alcohol Action Plan (CAAP). The vision in the centre is for a safe vibrant and healthy Christchurch free from alcohol-related harm. Four circles in the top half of the diagram show the current activity towards this goal: Problem limitation strategies including Services and Treatment; alcohol licensing; Supply control strategies and advocacy; and Demand reduction strategies including education and social marketing. The three priorites of the CAAP are shown in the bottom half of the diagram:

• Collaborate, coordinate, communicate;
• Reduce exposure, accessibility and availability; and
• Create safer spaces.

• Get help or more information if you are concerned your own or someone else’s drinking.

Alcohol regulation and licensing in the community

Community and Public Health works to:

• Ensure premises selling or wanting to sell alcohol meet licensing requirements by investigating and reporting on applications on behalf of the Medical Officer of Health; and
• Encourage the responsible sale, supply, consumption and promotion of alcohol in premises.
• Collaborate with other agencies to ensure regular monitoring of high risk licensed premises.
• Support the alcohol industry to be compliant with legislation through appropriate procedures and regular training and appraisal.

Community-based alcohol-related work

Community and Public Health works to:

• Ensure that key law and policy makers have appropriate information to consider when making decisions;
• Support community awareness of local alcohol license applications and options to get involved;
• Inform the public about the effects of alcohol use and misuse including targeted programmes for at risk groups;
• Promote host responsibility and alcohol related programmes in workplaces;
• Support sports clubs to develop alcohol policies; and
• Support supply control and reduction initiatives such as the Good One Party Register for youth.

Find out how you can take action on alcohol in your community, such as

• objecting to an alcohol licence;
• complaining about an alcohol advertisement;
• monitoring alcohol promotions in your community; and
• influencing your local alcohol policy.

Developing regional policies and strategies to reduce alcohol-related harm

Community and Public Health has worked alongside contributing partners across the Canterbury Clinical Network to develop a Canterbury Health System Alcohol-related Harm Reduction Strategy. This strategy was launched in May 2019 and work to implement it will continue to be facilitated by the Canterbury Clinical Network.

The figure above shows the framework of the Canterbury Health System Alcohol-related Harm Reduction Strategy. The central vision of Reduced harm from alcohol is surrounded by six values or way of working (equity, best use of resources, evidence, life-course approach, collaboration, and rangatiratanga with Māori communities). Four focus areas bubbles provide direction for the Strategy:

1. Influence behaviour change and social norms;
2. Promote healthy environments;
3. Coordinate prevention, identifications, treatment and support; and
4. Measure harm and monitor performance.

Community and Public Health worked closely with the Christchurch City Council and NZ Police on the Christchurch Alcohol Action Plan (CAAP). The plan was developed in response to community concern and sets out a vision for “a safe, vibrant, healthy Christchurch free from alcohol-related harm”.

• Read the Canterbury Health System Alcohol-related Harm Reduction Strategy.
• Learn more about the Christchurch Alcohol Action Plan (Christchurch City Council).
• Download an information sheet on recent research on alcohol-related harm [PDF].

Documents

Impacts of and Attitudes towards Alcohol

• Changes and influences on adolescent drinking in New Zealand (Health Promotion Agency 2020).
• Understanding alcohol use and subsequent harms in young people: An evidence summary (Health Promotion Agency 2020).
• Alcohol and Pregnancy: Evidence Summary (Health Promotion Agency 2019).

• Alcohol-related attitudes: Results from the 2018 Health and Lifestyles Survey infographic (Health Promotion Agency 2019).
• Drinking cultures of Rainbow New Zealanders (Health Promotion Agency 2019).
• New Zealanders’ alcohol consumption patterns across the lifespan (Massey University and the University of Auckland 2018).
• The drinking patterns of older New Zealanders: National and international Comparisons (Health Promotion Agency 2017).
• Attitudes to drinking in pregnancy (Health Promotion Agency 2017).

• Alcohol Use 2012/13: New Zealand Health Survey (Ministry of Health 2015).
• Our Stories: The impact of alcohol on individuals and families from some of NZ’s less often heard community voices (Health Promotion Agency 2014).
• Alcohol use in advanced age: Findings from LiLACS NZ (University of Auckland 2014).
• The culture of alcohol promotion and consumption at major sports events in NZ (Health Promotion Agency 2014).
• Trends in alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harms among females in NZ (Health Promotion Agency 2013).

• Alcohol-attributable burden of disease and injury in New Zealand: 2004 and 2007 (Health Promotion Agency 2013).
• Alcohol-related injury: An evidence-based literature review (ALAC 2012) [3.18MB].
• South Island DHBs Position Statement on Alcohol (Canterbury DHB 2012)
• Background paper on the South Island DHBs Position Statement on Alcohol (Canterbury DHB 2012)
• Position Statement on Alcohol Law Reform (Canterbury DHB 2010)

Impacts of and Attitudes towards Alcohol on Youth

• Alcohol use by West Coast young people: A survey of young people’s and adults’ views (Community and Public Health 2017).
• Supply of Alcohol to Young People Aged Under 18 Years (Health Promotion Agency 2017).
• ALAC Alcohol Monitor: Youth and Adult Alcohol Behaviours 2009-10 (ALAC 2011) [499Kb].
• Youth’07: The Health and Wellbeing of Secondary School Students in NZ – Young People and Alcohol (Auckland University 2011) [2.07Mb].

Alcohol in the Community

• The relationship between alcohol outlets and harm (Health Promotion Agency 2019).
• Impacts of local alcohol policies: Analysis of changes in spending at venues selling alcohol (Health Promotion Agency 2019).
• Evaluation of the Community Engagement with Alcohol Licensing Project (Community and Public Health 2019).
• Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012: Community Experience Survey (Health Promotion Agency 2018).

• Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012: Early Experience with Six Local Alcohol Policies (Health Promotion Agency 2018).
• Post-earthquake analysis of crime and alcohol outlets in Christchurch (Health Promotion Agency 2018).
• Guidelines for the development of Alcohol Accords (ALAC 2011).
• National Alcohol Accords Stocktake (ALAC 2010).
• Evaluation of the Christchurch city one-way door intervention: Final report (ALAC 2008).

Downloads

Download or order alcohol resources from the Community Health Information Centre.

• Alcohol and pregnancy: What you might not know (HPA and MoH)
• Alcohol and You: Facts and Effects (HPA)
• The Straight-up guide to standard drinks (HPA)
• Is Your Drinking Ok? (HPA)

Links

• Alcohol.org.nz (Health Promotion Agency)
• Alcohol Healthwatch
• Living Sober – online community helping people struggling with their alcohol use
• Students Against Driving Drunk (SADD)
• New Zealand Drug Foundation

Be a Pre-testie Bestie

This campaign encourages women to stop drinking alcohol if they could be pregnant, are pregnant or are trying to get pregnant.

There is no known safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.