Alcohol-related harm is a major preventable problem in Australia, representing 5% of the total disease burden nationally. The Northern Territory (NT) experiences a massively disproportionate amount of this harm.
Over three years, Professor Peter Miller’s collaborative project will provide world-first knowledge into the impact of the increasing availability of alcohol to First Nations people in one of Australia’s most vulnerable communities.
The research team will investigate three key policy changes which directly lead to alcohol becoming more available to First Nations people living in Central Australia.
These include the removal of the Minimum Unit Price in the NT, removal of restrictions on takeaway alcohol outlet trading hours and the cessation of the Stronger Futures Act in 2022.
This project aims to provide the community and policymakers with independent and timely information regarding the impacts of alcohol policies that increase availability in Central Australia and across Australia. It will also work towards improving data collection on alcohol-related harm and enhance community access to the data.
This research will build on existing partnerships between the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (Congress), Deakin University, Curtin University and Griffith University.
This project is funded by an MRFF grant.