Politicians, doctors, police, public health experts, and families of victims to meet to develop action plan to address alcohol-related harms
AMA National Alcohol Summit, National Convention Centre, Canberra, 28-29 October 2014
Twitter hashtag - #AMAsummit
The AMA is next week hosting a major national summit in Canberra to examine Australia’s unhealthy and dangerous alcohol culture, and to develop an action plan with practical solutions that will ultimately save lives and improve the health and quality of life of millions of Australians.
The AMA National Alcohol Summit will look at the impact of excessive alcohol use across several different domains including alcohol-related violence and the social costs of alcohol; culture, advertising and sport; the harmful use of alcohol in Indigenous communities; and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
The Summit will bring together political and community leaders, medical and health experts, police, families of victims, and other stakeholders to share ideas and experiences and propose practical measures to reduce the often devastating harms that alcohol abuse brings to families and communities.
Key Summit speakers include Federal Opposition Leader, the Hon Bill Shorten MP, Australian Greens Health Spokesman, Senator Richard Di Natale, Australia’s leading public health experts, and Mr Ralph Kelly, father of Thomas Kelly, who tragically died as a result of senseless alcohol-related violence on the streets of Sydney.
AMA President, A/Prof Brian Owler, said today that a national summit on alcohol and its harms is long overdue.
“The AMA early this year called on the Australian Government to host a summit at a time when the Australian community was reeling from a series of violent alcohol-fuelled attacks,” A/Prof Owler said.
“When the Government failed to act, the AMA decided to stage its own Summit and bring together a broad range of knowledge and experience from across the community.
“We will not be calling for a ban on alcohol or for people to give up alcohol altogether. But we will be calling for a national rethink of Australia’s historical alcohol culture, and a fresh approach to dealing with alcohol in a safer and more responsible way.
“And we will be calling on the Australian Government to take a strong leadership role in reshaping the relationship between alcohol and the Australian community.”
A/Prof Owler said the AMA has been a consistent public voice in raising awareness of alcohol-related harms and the need for a comprehensive national response with practical actions and solutions.
“As doctors, we are often at the frontline in dealing with the effects of drinking. We see the physical, mental, and social harms every day of the year in our surgeries and emergency departments across the country. We have to end this national tragedy before it engulfs yet another generation of Australians.”
AMA National Alcohol Summit program highlights include:
Day 1 – Tuesday 28 October 2014
10.10am Opening remarks and introduction – AMA President, A/Prof Brian Owler
10.45am Australian Greens Health Spokesman, Senator Richard Di Natale
11.15am Leader of the Opposition, the Hon Bill Shorten MP
11.30am Session 1: Violence and the social costs of alcohol
Street Violence
AMA Vice President, Dr Steve Parnis - Chair
Mr Ralph Kelly, Thomas Kelly Foundation
Mr Vince Kelly, NT Police Association
Dr Diana Egerton-Warburton, Australasian College of Emergency Medicine
Domestic Violence
AMA Vice President, Dr Steve Parnis – Chair
Dr Angela Taft, Judith Lumley Centre, La Trobe University
A/Prof Peter Miller, Violence Prevention Program, Deakin University
Ms Mirjana Wilson, ACT Domestic Violence Crisis Service
Dr Howard Bath, NT Children’s Commissioner
3.30pm Session 2: Culture, sport and alcohol
Former AMA President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal AO – Chair
Dr Nicholas Carah, University of Queensland
Professor Sandra Jones, Australian Catholic University Health Institute
Professor Mike Daube, Curtin University
A/Prof Kerry O’Brien, Monash University
Day 2 – Wednesday 29 October 2014
9.00am Session 1: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
Former AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton – Chair
Professor Elizabeth Elliot AM, University of Sydney
Ms Sue Miers AM, National Organisation for FASD
Dr Richard Kidd, GP, former AMAQ President
11.30am Professor Paul Haber, University of Sydney
12 noon Session 2: Alcohol harm and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People
AMA President, A/Prof Brian Owler – Chair
Dr John Boffa, Central Australian Aboriginal Congress
A/Prof Ted Wilkes, Curtin University
Mr Mick Gooda, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner
Dr Pat Anderson, Chair, Lowitja Institute
Senator Nova Peris OAM, ALP Senator for the Northern Territory
2.45pm Summit Outcomes and Communique – AMA President, A/Prof Brian Owler
In the lead-up to the Summit, the AMA has created a special AMA National Alcohol Summit webpage, and will conduct a social media campaign using infographics highlighting the human, social, and economic burdens that alcohol places on the Australian community.
The webpage is at https://ama.com.au/
The Twitter hashtag for the Summit is #AMAsummit
There are 11 infographics, which can be found on the webpage, including:
People can still register to attend the Summit. But hurry, as places are limited.
People wishing to attend the Summit can express their interest via email to president@ama.com.au or phone the AMA on 02 6270 5460.
The full Summit program is available at https://ama.com.au/system/
21 October 2014
CONTACT: John Flannery 02 6270 5477 / 0419 494 761
Odette Visser 02 6270 5464 / 0427 209 753
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