AMA backs campaign to stop binge drinking
AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, said today that the AMA strongly supports a new Government sport sponsorship program that addresses binge drinking, specifically the link between sport and alcohol sponsorship.
The Community Sponsorship Fund, part of the Government's National Binge Drinking Strategy, provides an alternative sponsorship source for major sporting groups and will involve them in promoting a new campaign to address binge drinking.
Twelve of Australia’s top sporting organisations – including Football Federation Australia, Netball Australia and Swimming Australia - will be funded out of the $25 million Government sponsorship program, which means these codes cannot be sponsored by alcohol companies.
“We support this strong initiative to break the link in people's minds about sport and alcohol consumption,” Dr Hambleton said.
“Young people in particular are easy targets of alcohol promotion at sporting and cultural events that portrays drinking as part of a healthy lifestyle.
“The involvement of key national sporting organisations in this campaign is vital. They are high profile role models.
“They will provide sporting environments that are free of alcohol promotion and educate their communities about the dangers of excess alcohol consumption.”
23 June 2012
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