30 September 2024 Media Release Urgent call to retain minimum unit pricing to protect the community As the new Finocchiaro Government considers major policy reform to protect the community, the Association of Alcohol and other Drug Agencies Northern Territory (AADANT) has called on the government to retain minimum unit pricing as a major evidence-based and cost effective policy to reduce alcohol related crime and harms. AADANT Executive Officer Stephanie Holmes said as alcohol-attributed death rates for Indigenous Territorians are ten times higher than the national average and two times higher for non-Indigenous Territorians, it was critical that the new government invest in effective alcohol policy reforms in the NT. “We welcome the new Finocchiaro Government and look forward to working collaboratively with them as they consider their approach to alcohol-related policy in the NT. “We note that the new government has been elected with a strong mandate to reduce alcohol-related social issues. “We urge the government to focus on alcohol policies with a strong evidence base and track record of making communities safer. “Minimum unit pricing is an example of a policy that has been highly successful in making the community safer, reducing alcohol-related harms and hospital admissions and saving taxpayers money. “Minimum unit pricing has resulted in a 14 per cent decline in alcohol-related assaults in Darwin. "Across the NT, minimum unit pricing has reduced alcohol-related emergency department presentations by 19 per cent.¹ "Minimum unit pricing protects the community from very cheap wine products pushed by the alcohol industry. Cask wine sales in Darwin halved after the minimum unit price was introduced."² Despite claims that minimum unit pricing had driven increases in the consumption of spirits, Ms Holmes said evidence does not support this claim. “There is no publicly available evidence that minimum unit pricing is linked to increased consumption of spirits. “The consumption of spirits was increasing before the introduction of minimum unit pricing, and spirit consumption increased in locations outside the NT where minimum unit pricing has not been introduced at all. “What minimum unit pricing has achieved is the reduction in consumption of low-cost high alcohol content products like cask wine. “And that has resulted in a reduction in alcohol-related assaults and alcohol-related hospital admissions. “We know that minimum unit pricing does not affect moderate drinkers but that the health impacts on heavy drinkers is significant. “Minimum unit pricing costs the government nothing to implement but saves taxpayers millions in reduced policing and health care costs. “Price policies are supported by strong evidence from all around the world. We understand that when alcohol prices drop, alcohol harms increase, and that’s why it's critical that we retain the minimum unit price." Ms Holmes said there was a direct relationship between cheap alcohol and increased alcohol-related harms and strongly cautioned the government against scrapping the policy. “We remain deeply concerned that if minimum unit pricing is scrapped, we’ll see significant increases in alcohol-related harms again. “Having been elected with a mandate to tackle law and order, the scrapping of minimum unit pricing leading to an increase in the availability of cheap cask wine, and the accompanying spike in alcohol-related harms would be contrary to both the government's and the community’s interests. “There is no doubt that scrapping minimum unit pricing in the NT will result in increased assaults, alcohol-related harms, and increased policing and hospital costs. “Instead of scrapping minimum unit pricing, the government should retain the policy and consider introducing indexation, as the legislation initially intended. “This would make an already successful policy even more effective than it currently is and would assist the Finocchiaro Government in delivering on its objectives of making the NT safer." Ms Holmes said she looked forward to working collaboratively with the government on these measures further. “We believe that the Finocchiaro Government and AADANT have the same objectives regarding alcohol policy. “We are both focused on keeping the community safe and reducing alcohol-related harms. “In pursuit of those important objectives, we encourage the government to focus on what works, what's keeping people safe, and what's reducing alcohol-related harms, based on the strong evidence we have on hand. “We strongly encourage the new government to keep minimum unit pricing in place.” Media contact: Darren Rodrigo 0414 783 405 The facts about minimum unit pricing in the Northern Territory Minimum unit pricing, alcohol-related assaults and hospital admissions. • The introduction of minimum unit pricing resulted in a 14 per cent decline in alcohol-related assaults in Darwin. • Across the NT, minimum unit pricing has reduced alcohol-related emergency department presentations by 19 per cent. • While Alice Springs only allows one cask wine to be purchased per person, no restrictions apply on purchasing cask wine in Darwin at all. This means it is likely that cask wine sales and associated harms will spike if minimum unit price is removed. • Based on evidence from other jurisdictions, retaining minimum unit pricing in the Northern Territory will reduce alcohol-related deaths.³ Minimum unit pricing and spirit consumption • There is no evidence that the minimum unit pricing has driven increased spirit use. Spirit consumption increased before the introduction of minimum unit pricing and increased in locations where minimum unit pricing had not been introduced. • International evidence globally demonstrates that the introduction of minimum unit pricing shifts alcohol consumption from high-strength to low-strength products. Scotland saw a shift of 3-8%, the Northern Territory 6-8%, and Wales 9%.⁴ 1 Evaluation of Minimum Unit Price of Alcohol in the Northern Territory – Frontier Economics - 2022 2 Taylor, N., Miller, P., Coomber, K., Livingston, M., Scott, D., Buykx, P., & Chikritzhs, T. (2021). The impact of a minimum unit price on wholesale alcohol supply trends in the Northern Territory, Australia. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 45(1), 26-33. 3 https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)00497-X/fulltext 4 Menzies School of Health Research study in partnership with Peter Miller and team of Deakin University