Submission to the Inquiry by the Director of Liquor Licensing into proposed restrictions on the sale of packaged liquor in Port Hedland and South Hedland

This report has been prepared, on behalf of the Executive Director Public Health, Department of Health, for presentation at an Inquiry to be held, under Section 64 of the Liquor Licensing Act (1988), at South Hedland Court on the 18th and 19th June 2002. The purpose of the inquiry is to: hear evidence and submissions in relation to the proposed restrictions on the twelve licensees authorised to sell packaged liquor in Port Hedland and South Hedland (Director of Liquor Licensing 21st May 2002a).The proposed restrictions, which are to apply from Sunday to Friday, for a 12 month trialperiod, are as follows.1. The sale of up to one block of packaged low strength beer (eg: 30 cans) (3.5% alcohol by volume of less) per customer may be sold between the hours of 10.00am and 10.00pm.2. The sale of full strength packaged liquor shall not commence before 12 noon and cease no later than 10.00pm. During these trading hours, the sale of liquor will be subject to the following limits on the volume of liquor that may be sold per customer. 4.5 litres of full strength beer or UDLs (eg: 12 cans); or 2 litres of wine; or 700ml of spirits.3. Normal trading conditions will apply on all Saturdays during the trial period.The Director of Liquor Licensing has invited evidence from interested parties regarding:(i) the extent of alcohol-related harm in the two towns;(ii) potential adverse effects of proposed restrictions;(iii) key issues;(iv) complementary measures;(v) suggestions for alternative proposals (Director of Liquor Licensing 2002b)

Beating the grog: An evaluation of the Tennant Creek liquor licensing restrictions

A study was conducted to review the effectiveness of, and community attitudes towards, increased restrictions on the availability of alcohol in Tennant Creek, Australia. Estimates of quarterly per capita consumption of pure alcohol by persons 15 years and over, admissions data from the local hospital, women's refuge and sobering up shelter, and police data on detentions in custody and common offences were compared for the 12 months prior and 24 months subsequent to the introduction of the restrictions. A random sample survey of residents aged 18 and over was conducted to ascertain attitudes towards the restrictions. Results showed that over the two years following the introduction of the restrictions, there was a reduction of 19.4% in annual per capita consumption of pure alcohol. This was accompanied by declines in: hospital admissions for acute alcohol-related diagnostic related groups; and persons taken into police custody and the proportions of offences reported on Thursdays. A majority of survey respondents was in favour of retaining or strengthening the existing restrictions. It is concluded that the restrictions were effective in reducing alcohol consumption and acute related harm and had the support of the majority of people in Tennant Creek. On the basis of this evidence, the NT Liquor Commission made a decision to retain them. Restrictions do not provide a simple answer to the problems associated with excessive alcohol consumption. However, they can be an effective part of a broad public health strategy to deal with such problems

How safe is sex with condoms? An in-depth investigation of the condom use pattern during the last sex act in an urban area of Bangladesh

The policy of condom intervention is based on achieving ejaculation inside a condom, a "mechanical" goal of sexual interaction. However, most research on condom use has focused upon a simplistic reliance on survey results of condom use during the last sex act. Interviews with 20 hotel-based female sex workers and 15 (male) clients were conducted to explore patterns of claimed condom use during the last sex act. The Health Belief Model guided this study and was found deficient in providing an understanding of condom use. The clients' (male) perceptions of sexuality and "the male's right" to engage in sexual intercourse in commercial settings increased condom use. The invisibility of AIDS reduced participants' perceived susceptibility to and severity of suffering from the disease, while using condoms at any time during intercourse was perceived as being beneficial. Condom interventions need to be based on deeper understanding of the complexity of people's lives

Making sense of partnerships: a study of police and housing department collaboration for tackling drug and related problems on public housing estates

In recent years, interdepartmental partnerships within the public sector have been heralded as effective instruments for addressing complex social problems. For example, it is claimed that they can motivate staff and facilitate innovative practices that lead to improvements in service delivery. However, though partnerships are widely promoted as a panacea within the sector, there is a paucity of research that has looked at them from a critical perspective or examined how they operate in practice. The aim of this project is to explore the realities of partnership working by focusing on collaboration between the police and housing departments to tackle problems associated with illicit drug activity and anti-social behaviour (ASB) on three Australian public housing estates. The rationale for the project is that, though only a small minority of tenants are perpetrators, their actions can seriously blight the lives of their neighbours. Usually it is the housing department that responds to complaints relating to ASB but, in the more serious cases that are deemed criminal, the police also perform a role. Three locations were chosen as case studies. East Devonport in Tasmania and Girrawheen in Western Australia are areas with a large public housing stock. In East Devonport ASB and illicit drug activities are seen as nascent problems while in Girrawheen these problems are viewed as more pervasive, but to date there has been only limited collaboration between the police and housing departments. Collingwood in Victoria includes a large system-built housing estate that has become a location for the buying and selling of drugs. In Collingwood, police and housing departments have, for many years, worked on a series of partnership projects to address the problem and to enhance community wellbeing. The empirical component of the project entailed two stages. The fi rst stage initiated meetings between the police and housing departments in order for them to agree to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on partnership protocols. The second stage reported on existing and new activities undertaken by both departments over a twelve month period. The research methods entailed participant observation, secondary data collection and qualitative interviews with key personnel. The fi ndings from the case studies are structured around three thematic areas: setting up partnerships, the benefi ts of partnerships, and the obstacles that can impact on partnership working

Indigenous child care - leading the way

We believe that the Australian early childhood sector is not performing well. The incidence of poor outcomes for children is increasing, and we believe that current service delivery is not capable of addressing this. We argue that, as a sector, there is an abundance of evidence of the kinds of programs and initiatives that could address our national concerns, and review some of that evidence. We also point out that there is considerable knowledge in Australia, based on Australian programmes and experience, that can be used to build a different early childhood sector with the potential to significantly impact on growing disadvantage. We conclude with the principles or themes around which such initiatives should be developed and a call to advocate for the development of such services. Appropriate services supporting all of our young children, their families and their communities, have the potential to make a huge impact on our society, and we can no longer hide from our responsibilities and avoid providing such services

A longitudinal study of influences on alcohol consumption and related harm in Central Australia: with a particular emphasis on the role of price.

Made available by the Northern Territory Library via the Publications (Legal Deposit) Act 2004 (NT).Northern Territory, Department of Health, Central Australian Aboriginal Congres

Developing young people's sense of self and place through sport

Previous research has recognized positive health implications, both physical and mental, as an outcome of participation in leisure pursuits. They provide opportunities for self-expression and stress reduction, as well as an environment in which people can socialize. Leisure activities, specifically sport activities, can play a significant role in young people's identity development. This paper explores the leisure activities in which young people in Adelaide, Australia participate. It examines the role of leisure activities in terms of young people's identity and feelings towards their hometown. This study consisted of semi-structured focus groups conducted with 24 senior high school students, followed by a survey resulting in 226 useable responses. Respondents were aged between 16 and 18 years of age. From the range of activities identified and explored, the results revealed sports activities to have the greatest impact on young people's lives. The results demonstrated that frequency of participation has a significant effect on young people's involvement levels and how they identify with the activity

Socioeconomic disparities in physical health among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Western Australia

Objective. Few empirical studies have specifically examined the relationship between socio-economic status (SES) and health in Indigenous populations of Australia. We sought to provide insights into the nature of this relationship by examining socio-economic disparities in physical health outcomes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Western Australia. Design. We used a diverse set of health and SES indicators from a representative survey conducted in 20002002 on the health and development of 5289 Indigenous children aged 017 years in Western Australia. Analysis was conducted using multivariate logistic regression within a multilevel framework. Results. After controlling for age and sex, we found statistically significant socio- economic disparities in health in almost half of the associations that were investigated, although the direction, shape and magnitude of associations differed. For ear infections, recurring chest infections and sensory function problems, the patterns were generally consistent with a positive socio-economic gradient where better health was associated with higher SES. The reverse pattern was found for asthma, accidents and injuries, and oral health problems, although this was primarily observed for area-level SES indicators. Conclusion. Conventional notions of social position and class have some influence on the physical health of Indigenous children, although the diversity of results implies that there are other ways of conceptualising and measuring SES that are important for Indigenous populations. We need to consider factors that relate specifically to Indigenous circumstances and culture in the past and present day, and give more thought to how we measure social position in the Indigenous community, to gain a better understanding of the pathways from SES to Indigenous child health

Exploring undergraduate midwifery students' readiness to deliver culturally secure care for pregnant and birthing Aboriginal women

Background: Culturally secure health care settings enhance accessibility by Aboriginal Australians and improve their satisfaction with service delivery. A culturally secure health service recognises and responds to the legitimate cultural rights of the recipients of care. Focus is upon the health care system as well as the practice and behaviours of the individuals within it. In an attempt to produce culturally secure practitioners, the inclusion of Aboriginal content in health professional programs at Australian universities is now widespread. Studies of medical students have identified the positive impact of this content on knowledge and attitudes towards Aboriginal people but relatively little is known about the responses of students in other health professional education programs. This study explored undergraduate midwifery students' knowledge and attitudes towards Aboriginal people, and the impact of Aboriginal content in their program. Methods: The study surveyed 44 students who were in their first, second and third years of a direct entry, undergraduate midwifery program at a Western Australian (WA) university. The first year students were surveyed before and after completion of a compulsory Aboriginal health unit. Second and third year students who had already completed the unit were surveyed at the end of their academic year. Results: Pre- and post-unit responses revealed a positive shift in first year students' knowledge and attitudes towards Aboriginal people and evidence that teaching in the unit was largely responsible for this shift. A comparison of post-unit responses with those from students in subsequent years of their program revealed a significant decline in knowledge about Aboriginal issues, attitudes towards Aboriginal people and the influence of the unit on their views. Despite this, all students indicated a strong interest in more clinical exposure to Aboriginal settings. Conclusions: The inclusion of a unit on Aboriginal health in an undergraduate midwifery program has been shown to enhance knowledge and shift attitudes towards Aboriginal people in a positive direction. These gains may not be sustained, however, without vertical integration of content and reinforcement throughout the program. Additional midwifery-specific Aboriginal content related to pregnancy and birthing, and recognition of strong student interest in clinical placements in Aboriginal settings provide opportunities for future curriculum development