Increases in alcohol-related hospital presentations in the Northern Territory is casting doubt over the effectiveness of the government’s alcohol reforms and in particular alcohol floor prices.
The NT Labor government was the first to introduce a minimum unit price for alcohol in 2018, which subsequently pushed up cheap wine prices.
Hospital presentation figures obtained by Sky News, however, indicated there was little to no improvement in alcohol fueled violence.
Health department figures revealed alcohol-related presentations in Darwin and Palmerstone rose 5.5 per cent in the first 12 months after the minimum floor price was introduce, and a further 11 per cent the following 12 months.
Police agreed problem drinkers were substituting cask wine for other products – made worse by the increase in welfare payments due to the government’s COVID relief measures.
“Historically where we’re probably going to see wine and beer, we’ve seen a marked move towards spirits, particularly Bundaberg rum and the like going out to communities,” NT Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker said.
“We feel that there’s a distinct association with that and the increase of harm that’s followed.”
