ALAC | Strategies

An outcome statement describing the sum total of ALAC's work for the coming 4-5 years has been completed. It recognises that the achievement of the outcome will be the result of more than ALAC's work.

This statement builds on the mission statement expressed in the strategic plan - more moderation, less harm. The statement describes the situation ALAC wishes to see as a result of not only its work programme but also the collaborative and supportive efforts of other organisations.

The desired outcome is:

New Zealanders experience less harm
from alcohol use, their own and others
It is measurable and over time, achievable and fits well with the statutory mandate and the Council-set strategic plan to 2007. ALAC has structured its business plan around a well established health model, focusing its efforts on:

Supply Control
Demand Reduction
Problem Limitation

Each of these strategic areas have projects that contribute to the achievement of a range of outcomes that in turn contribute to achieving the overall outcome whereby New Zealanders (New Zealanders is inclusive of tangata whenua, citizens and non-citizen residents) experience less harm from alcohol use their own and others.

Business Plan Outline

ALAC's levy expenditure is divided into 6 outputs and each of these outputs funds projects across the Supply Control, Demand Reduction and Problem Limitation strategies.

The Business Plan provides for expenditure in these strategies as follows:

2004/05

Supply Control $1,776,947
Demand Reduction $1,960,048
Problem Limitation $4,980,454

Total $8,717,449

Supply Control
The Supply Control range of strategies focus on achieving enforcement and compliance with the Sale of Liquor Act outcomes.

While enforcement alone cannot change New Zealander's risky drinking behaviours, it can reduce harm through effective enforcement and prosecutions in respect of sale and supply to minors and in the serving of intoxicated persons.

Supply Control also reduces harm through assisting license holders and their staff be aware of the provisions of the Sale of Liquor Act and supporting them with the information and training needed to assist them in complying with the relevant provisions of that Act, particularly sale to minors and sale to intoxicated persons. Additionally if license holders comply with the law then they will, to a degree, influence the environment of drinking and supply of alcohol in New Zealand.

Supply Control strategies play a key role in driving social change in the New Zealand drinking culture. Police, Territorial Local Authorities and Public Health Units lead this area of work supported by other agencies.

Demand Reduction
The Demand Reduction strategies focus on achieving culture change outcomes.

Supply Control strategies can influence culture and effectively delivered contribute to reducing alcohol-related harm. However they do not address the tolerance of and in some cases the desire for, intoxication that New Zealander's demonstrate in their drinking patterns.

Intoxication leads to acute harms including, but not limited to, road crash injuries, falls, drowning, poisoning, assault, self-inflicted injury and fetal alcohol syndrome and New Zealanders overall are not associating their drinking patterns with the harms that accrue to themselves, their families and their communities.

Marketing plays a key role in supporting and developing attitude, beliefs and behaviours that if supported by appropriate programmes and interventions in the community, will lead to sustained behaviour change and long-term harm reduction.

Marketing has the ability to achieve a broad reach particularly to those whose behaviour will not be altered by Supply Control strategies, or whose behaviour does not warrant Problem Limitation interventions. Marketing by itself will not change behaviour, but when added to the Supply Control and Problem Limitation strategies provide the leverage that secure behaviour changes.

ALAC acknowledges that some Demand Reduction strategies are currently undertaken through Ministry of Education and at a local level through Public Health Units.

Problem Limitation
The Problem Limitation strategies focus on support and assistance programmes to help dependent and hazardous drinkers reduce or stop their drinking and therefore reduce harm.

These strategies also play a key role in driving social change in the New Zealand drinking culture, by addressing the potential for chronic harm. As people's attention is drawn to the harms accruing from the misuse of alcohol they will seek assistance.

Programmes and providers must be able to respond to that need in a timely way for sustained change in the individual to be achieved. As individuals change for the better, they influence their communities' attitudes and behaviours.

ALAC recognises the need for continued work in Problem Limitation strategies. This work is led primarily through the Ministry of Health and District Health Boards. The Alcohol Drug Association of New Zealand (ADANZ) maintains a directory of treatment services . It is funded by ALAC to provide an online counselling service.