Media Release
Anglicans go into battle against binge drinking “curse”
Anglicans today vowed to “be at the forefront of the battle” against binge drinking in Australia.
The General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia backed the call after The Reverend Zac Veron warned of the growing impact of binge drinking in Australia.
“Alcohol abuse if a curse on our society and it inflicts untold pain on many people in Australia, particularly the young and vulnerable,” he said on the final day of the tri-annual gathering of the Church’s supreme decision making body in Melbourne.
“With binge drinking on the rise and 15% of Australians now classed as risky drinkers we are certainly in the big league when it comes to alcohol abuse.”
Revd Veron, from the Diocese of Sydney, said 450,000 children lived in households where there was binge drinking and the total economic impact of alcohol abuse in Australia was $36 billion each year.
“Drinking alcohol is deeply engrained in the Australian culture. Drinking alcohol to excess is firmly established as a feature of young adult Australian culture in particular.
“It’s time to speak to that culture in order to change it; from alcohol is necessary and essential to alcohol is permissible in moderation. It’s time to seek additional help from our law-makers in order to protect the young and the innocent.
“A generation of young people is waiting. A generation is waiting for someone to do something, to say enough is enough, things must change and quick. A generation is waiting for us.
“Let Anglicans be at the forefront of the battle to change the binge-drinking culture,” he said.
Synod unanimously passed the motion from Revd Veron which expressed regret at the rise of binge drinking and criticised advertisements for alcohol which “specifically targeting teenagers”.
The motion also warned of the “scourge on society of alcohol-fuelled violence and property damage” as well as “the high levels of injuries suffered by police officers while attempting to quell late night pub brawls”.
Seconding the motion, The Reverend Jim Ramsay, insisted binge drinking was “a very serious problem” which governments also had a responsibility to address.
He urged the Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia to write to National, State and Territory government leaders seeking action on the issue.
Media contact: Leigh Arnold, General Synod Media Coordinator*
Mobile: 0428 022 270 Email: media@anglican.org.au