The Liquor Act 2019 is an act enacted and signed into legislation by the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly in 2019, which introduces a statutory minimum price for alcohol inorder to counter alcohol problems.
| Liquor Act 2019 (NT) | |
|---|---|
| Northern Territory Legislative Assembly | |
| |
| Citation | No. 95 of 2019 |
| Territorial extent | Northern Territory |
| Assented to | 3 September 2019 |
| Commenced | 1 October 2019 |
| Legislative history | |
| Introduced by | Natasha Fyles |
| First reading | 13 August 2019 |
| Second reading | 13 August 2019 |
| Third reading | 13 August 2019 |
| Passed | 13 August 2019 |
| Status: In force | |
Background
editIn 2010, a report was published into alcohol culture in the Northern Territory, suggesting that alcohol was one of the main causes of indigenous child abuse in the territory.[1] The territory reportedly measured the highest proportion of deaths due to alcohol consumption across all jurisdictions in Australia,[2]
In 2013, the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory described drinking culture as a "core social value" of the Northern Territory.[3] The Northern Territory has had a long history of alcohol abuse, with a percentage of 44.[4]
Riley Review
editIn October 2017, the Riley review into alcohol legislation in the territory was published.[5][6] The report recommended sweeping changes to the Liquor Act 1978.
Impact
editInitially there was a community backlash against the act - several Territory Labor Party members of the Legislative Assembly acknowledged that communication around the act had not been handled well, that the party was 'in a muddle'.[7]
Three years after the introduction of the policy, a review painted a mixed picture of the success of minimum unit pricing, noting that the COVID-19 pandemic had creating confounding factors which meant all available results were significantly reduced.[8][9]
The increase of the price from the initial value of AU$1.30 to AU$1.50 will give researchers a second chance to study the impact of the increased minimum price.[9]
References
edit- ^ Hudson, Sara (8 November 2010). "Collective apathy: alcohol and child abuse in the NT". ABC. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ La Canna, Xavier (31 July 2014). "Northern Territory tops statistics nationally for deaths from alcohol consumption". ABC. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ O'Brien, Kristy (23 March 2013). "Grog culture defended as 'core social value'". ABC. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ Boffa, John (24 September 2018). "The NT is putting a minimum floor price on alcohol, because evidence shows this works to reduce harm". The Conversation. The Conversation Trust (UK) Limited. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
In 2014, around 44% of people in the NT were drinking alcohol at a level that put them at risk of injury or other harms at least once in the past month.
- ^ Riley, Trevor (19 October 2017). Alcohol Policies and Legislation Review (PDF) (Report). Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
A minimum unit price (floor price) for all alcohol products of approximately $1.50 per standard drink
- ^ Damjanovic, Dijana; La Canna, Xavier (19 October 2017). "Riley review: Floor price on alcohol, 400sqm rule to be scrapped in wake of NT alcohol policy paper". Guardian News & Media Limited. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ Smee, Ben (20 October 2018). "'Backlash': Northern Territory alcohol floor price divides community". Guardian News & Media Limited. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ Morgan, Thomas (6 October 2022). "Three years after the NT implemented an alcohol 'floor price', review paints mixed picture of its success". ABC. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ a b Taylor, Nicholas (14 March 2023). "Three years of minimum unit pricing in the Northern Territory, what does the evidence say?". Drug and Alcohol Review. 42 (4): 912–914. doi:10.1111/dar.13641. PMID 36917512. Retrieved 12 July 2024.