Media release

AMA encourages community to 'own' the health of young Australians in National Youth Week

Published 1 April 2011

The AMA is encouraging the broader community to take ownership of the health of young Australians during National Youth Week, which commences today with the theme ‘Own It’.

AMA Vice President, Dr Steve Hambleton, said that it is important for the community to support and advise young people about the importance of staying healthy and avoiding unhealthy practices and substances.

“There are many health risks confronting young people today but one of the most dangerous – and one where the community as a whole can help – is alcohol abuse,” Dr Hambleton said.

“Young brains are particularly vulnerable to the effects of alcohol. Studies show that six in 10 young people aged 14–17 years report being recent drinkers of alcohol.

“It is important for the broader community to send the right messages and set the right examples to young people about excessive alcohol consumption.

“Most young people obtain alcohol from their friends, adult acquaintances, or their parents. These role models should seriously consider the impact of their actions on the health and wellbeing of their child or friend.

“The AMA is also concerned about the targeted marketing of alcohol products to young people, which includes advertising and sponsorship of sporting, cultural and music events.

“Governments, the alcohol industry, and the broader community should understand that these sponsorship and advertising arrangements undermine harm minimisation messages about safe and reasonable alcohol consumption.

“In order to reduce the harms of excessive drinking among young people, all stakeholders – including governments, the alcohol industry, parents, and other influential adults – must take ‘ownership’ of Australia’s drinking culture and show leadership in teaching young people about safe drinking.

“It is incumbent on the industry to ensure that alcohol prices are not competitively discounted to levels that attract young people to drink more.

“And it is important that parents and other adults set good examples and provide strong guidance to young people about the dangers to image and health caused by excessive or irresponsible alcohol consumption.

“We must educate young people to understand that they can go out and have fun without consuming excessive amounts of alcohol.

“The same principles can be applied to other health risks such as drugs, unsafe sex, and obesity. If we help young people ‘own’ their health now, they will be better placed to take full informed responsibility for their health as they grow older,” Dr Hambleton said.

Background

In a typical day, Australians aged 14 years and over consume 28 million standard drinks;

Six in 10 young people (14-17 years) were recent drinkers. When asked about the source of alcohol, friends and acquaintances were the most common cited source, followed by parents – of these young drinkers, most indicated that it would be fairly easy to obtain alcohol;

Over the period 1993-2001, an estimated 501 under age drinkers (14-17 years) died from alcohol-attributable injury and disease caused by risky / high risk drinking [National Drug Research Institute (NDRI): 2004];