Sporting bodies behind crackdown on alcohol culture

Mar 11 2008

Promises by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of a $50-million budget to be spent on early intervention programs for underage drinkers and an advertising campaign have met with approval from many.

Some of the money will be used to confront the culture of binge drinking in sporting organisations and appears to have been welcomed by sporting bodies.

The Prime Minister says millions of Australian children play sport and he believes that by engaging the peak sporting bodies in this fashion, it offers a real opportunity to confront a problem facing many families and many communities across Australia.

The Prime Minister will meet the heads of the major sporting bodies this week to discuss how to address teenage binge drinking; according to recent figures, 10 per cent of Australian teenagers were drunk in the last week.

The Chairman of South Sydney Rugby League Club, Peter Holmes a Court, agrees and says sporting stars are in the unique position to help especially when it comes to delivering that message to schools.

Critics say sports organisations need to sort out their own problems before embarking on education programs in schools.

In defence sporting clubs say when sports stars make mistakes it is well publicised and it is unrealistic to expect sports stars to be blemish free.

Most clubs already have codes of conduct governing player behaviour and some players have had contracts terminated where it was felt necessary.

Clubs say they are working hard in these areas and dealing with the issues as they occur.

Criticism of the amount of alcohol advertising involved with sport has also come under fire with many of the opinion there is too much emphasis on the promotion of alcoholic products in association with sport.

Although Kevin Rudd has already ruled out an outright ban on alcohol sponsorship, a bill is currently under consideration by a Senate committee to restrict alcohol advertising.

The government plans have been praised by Professor Mike Daube from the Public Health Advocacy Institute at Curtin University, who says young people are binge drinking more than ever before and the government should be congratulated for tackling the problem.

Professor Daube says the major funding will help confront the appalling alcohol culture at the centre of so many sporting organisations.

The government will also look closely at the way alcohol is marketed and who the marketing targets.