Talking with Doug after the 'Ten Things' tour

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Late in 2009, Professor Doug Sellman, Director of the National Addiction Centre, University of Otago, Christchurch, toured the country during a university sabbatical, delivering a lecture ‘Ten things the alcohol industry won’t tell you about alcohol’.

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The primary intent was to publicise an evidence-based ‘5+ Solution’ to New Zealand’s alcohol crisis, in parallel to the Law Commission’s current alcohol law review. A second aim was to set up a network of alcohol action groups throughout the country.

Doug will be elaborating on the lecture and writing it into a book to be released later this year. In the meantime, Matters of Substance caught up with him to find out how the lecture series went.

MoS: So how successful were the lectures?

Doug: I think the lecture tour made some real headway on waking people up to the enormous, yet somewhat invisible, presence of the alcohol industry and its unrelenting quest for profit at the expense of the health, safety and wellbeing of New Zealanders.

There’s still an extraordinary amount of apathy in New Zealand around alcohol. A lot of people just don’t understand that alcohol is a neurotoxic drug that directly causes aggression, and they don’t appreciate the destructive effect excessive drinking has on communities, families and individuals.

But after 42 meetings in 30 towns attended by nearly 5,000 people, there are signs that’s starting to change.

MoS: What were the key community issues you noted as you moved around the country?

Doug: Three main concerns people seemed to have were: overt public drunkenness and the sense of danger this brings to downtown New Zealand, particularly after dark; the number of liquor outlets and how communities often feel powerless to oppose their proliferation; and marketing and advertising. I have the impression the lectures helped open people’s eyes to the subtle but powerful influence of the alcohol industry – the excessive commercialisation of alcohol and, in particular, its ready availability. Everywhere you go, there’s alcohol advertising.

A lot of people out there are quite worried, but everywhere I went, people were excited by the possibility that change is going to occur.

MoS: What makes you so sure the 5+ Solution will solve New Zealand’s alcohol crisis?

Doug: We will never solve the problem of alcohol-related damage entirely. Alcohol is here to stay. It’s almost as natural as water. But education campaigns have very little effectiveness, and the hope that individuals will spontaneously begin to act more responsibly is just wishful thinking.

Over the past 20 years, government has  allowed the alcohol industry immense freedom to market and sell a Class B equivalent drug 24 hours a day and advertise it on national television. At the same time, the industry has absolved itself of all responsibility for the problems caused by alcohol and blamed them on a fantasy ‘irresponsible minority’.

New effective regulation is now needed to turn the tide of New Zealand’s harmful drinking culture. The 5+ Solution is a set of policy directives that are supported by robust international evidence. It targets the excessively permissive environment in which alcohol is marketed, supplied and sold as well as recommending increased treatment opportunities for heavy drinkers.

MoS: How has the community responded to the lecture series?

Doug: The public reaction has confirmed my belief that there is a lot of public alarm about New Zealand’s heavy drinking culture and that conditions are right for change. We now have a network of enthusiastic and active local alcohol action groups throughout New Zealand that have been working very hard to support the Law Commission’s report and whatever Government action follows. Nearly 400 leading doctors and nurses have also sent the Government an unprecedented sign in an historic statement supporting the 5+ Solution.

MoS: And what do you expect the Government will do?

Doug: I think there are people in Government who understand the issues and want to do something positive to reduce the damage from alcohol. At the same time, there will always be intense lobbying from the alcohol and advertising industries.

Those in Government know alcohol is a major eroding influence. We need to wait and see whether they have the guts and political nous to put up policies that will really make a difference.

MoS: Can you gaze into your crystal ball and describe the legislation that will be written?

Doug: I fear the new legislation won’t directly tackle the most important issue – the excessive commercialisation of alcohol. If our parliamentarians really believe alcohol is ‘no ordinary commodity’ and that alcohol has the public health risk equivalent of a Class B1 drug, they will do something about pricing and marketing. If those two elements of the 5+ Solution do not appear in the new legislation, we are in trouble – New Zealand’s heavy drinking culture will definitely continue.

A set of measures involving accessibility (hours, venue density) and drink driving – with the possibility of raising the purchase age, at least for off-licence purchases of alcohol, will have some benefit. But I will be disappointed if that is all it comes to, and I’m sure the sense of community anger that is beginning to appear will become even more overt if a limp piece of new legislation is put up in response to the Law Commission’s final report.

If the new law doesn’t involve pricing and marketing, then New Zealand’s heavy drinking culture could possibly even intensify. Unless there are new restrictions to marketing and advertising, we will very likely see a cranking up of alcohol marketing in 2011, turbo-charged by the best excuse available – the Rugby World Cup. I’m sure the alcohol industry can’t wait for the current Law Commission review process to be over so they can carry on with business as usual.

MoS: Speaking of the industry, did they give your lecture series any tangible opposition?

Doug: Actually, I was expecting more organised reaction at the public meetings, but there were only sporadic comments and challenges, generally trotting out the well-worn arguments around personal responsibility. But I have no illusions the industry will stand idly by.

MoS: What other tricks do you think they may have up their sleeve?

Doug: Well, I think threatening to withdraw election funds is a huge lever they will roll out at some point behind the scenes. The National-led Government is big-business friendly, and it is very hard to do something you know will hurt your friends, even when it is for a greater cause involving your fellow citizens.

MoS: So what can concerned people do?

Doug: The Law Commission’s final report will probably be made public in April, so we have a month or two left for people still wanting to become involved. If people go to our website (www.alcoholaction.co.nz), they can join the email list, or contact us directly so we can put them in touch with their local action group coordinator.

This phase is all about letting the Government know that New Zealanders really do want change. We’d like to see people teaming up and going to see their MPs, particularly National MPs.

Writing letters to the editor is another good option and is reasonably easy. Open the newspaper on virtually any day and there’ll be an alcohol-related story to comment on.

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