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The Issue

A hidden crisis has been escalating in our state. Not enough is being done to prevent the unacceptable growing harms fuelled by alcohol in our community.

In Western Australia, alcohol-caused cancers are responsible for three deaths a week and over 1000 hospitalisations a year. Alcohol is also responsible for many other harms. Each week eight alcohol-related deaths, 402 hospitalisations, and 180 family violence incidents occur.

 Our state has one of the highest rates of emergency department presentations due to alcohol in the country, with 1 in 5 emergency department patients on a Saturday night there because of alcohol.

Harms from alcohol have increased in recent years. Ambulance callouts for alcohol intoxication increased by eight per cent between 2020 and 2021.

It’s not only people who drink that are impacted by alcohol-related harms. Our ability to access urgent medical treatment, the amenity of our communities, safety on our roads, and the health and wellbeing of our children are all impacted too.

The WA community is calling for stronger action; 73% of West Australians are concerned about harms from alcohol and 76% want the WA Government to do more to reduce the harms.

Harm from alcohol is preventable and robust evidence is available about what works to prevent harm. We can no longer accept the escalating harms that alcohol products cause to West Australian individuals, families, and the community. The time to act and prevent harms from alcohol is now.

Read our report for more

Digital campaign ‘Alcohol fuels many harms’

The report ‘WA’s Hidden Crisis: Harm from Alcohol’ was released alongside a digital campaign ‘Alcohol fuels many harms’ with funding support from Healthway. The digital campaign will air on social media platforms and paid digital media channels until mid-August.

The digital campaign aims to draw attention to the harms from alcohol in the Western Australian community and urges action now to prevent them.

Here is a video from the digital campaign that highlights the impact of alcohol-caused cancers in Western Australia.

How can you help?

We encourage you to share the resources within your networks on social media platforms or newsletters.

Together, we can help to protect West Australians from alcohol-related harms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information