TY - JOUR
T1 - Alcohol control policies in Indigenous communities
T2 - A qualitative study of the perceptions of their effectiveness among service providers, stakeholders and community leaders in Queensland (Australia)
AU - Clough, Alan R.
AU - Margolis, Stephen A.
AU - Miller, Adrian
AU - Shakeshaft, Anthony
AU - Doran, Christopher M.
AU - McDermott, Robyn
AU - Sanson-Fisher, Rob
AU - Towle, Simon
AU - Martin, David
AU - Ypinazar, Valmae
AU - Robertson, Jan A.
AU - Fitts, Michelle S.
AU - Bird, Katrina
AU - Honorato, Bronwyn
AU - West, Caryn
N1 - Funding Information:
The study was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia ( NHMRC , Project Grant #APP1042532), with additional support from the Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute-funded Centre for Research Excellence for the Prevention of Chronic Conditions in Rural and Remote High Risk Populations at James Cook University & University Adelaide. Dr Caryn West is a National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia Early Career Research Post-Doctoral Fellow (NHMRC ECR, #APP1070931). Associate Professor Clough holds a NHMRC Career Development Award (#APP1046773).
PY - 2016/10/1
Y1 - 2016/10/1
N2 - Background: Favourable impacts are reported from complex alcohol control strategies, known as ‘Alcohol Management Plans’ (AMPs) implemented 14 years ago in 19 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) communities in Queensland (Australia). However, it is not clear that all communities benefited and that positive impacts were sustained. Service providers, key stakeholders and community leaders provided insights about issues and impacts. Methods: Participants (N = 382) were recruited from knowledgeable and experienced persons using agency lists and by recommendation across sectors which have a mandate for managing alcohol-related issues and consequences of AMP policies in communities. In semi-structured interviews, participants (51% Indigenous, 55% male and comprised of at least one-third local community residents) were asked whether they believed alcohol controls had been effective and to describe any favourable and unfavourable outcomes experienced or perceived. Inductive techniques were used for thematic analysis of the content of transcribed recorded interviews. Comments reflecting themes were assessed across service sectors, by gender, Indigenous status and remoteness. Results: Participants attributed reduced violence and improved community amenity to AMPs, particularly for ‘very remote’ communities. Participants’ information suggests that these important achievements happened abruptly but may have become undermined over time by: the availability of illicit alcohol and an urgency to consume it; migration to larger centres to seek alcohol; criminalization; substitution of illicit drugs for alcohol; changed drinking behaviours and discrimination. Most issues were more frequently linked with ‘very remote’ communities. Conclusion: Alcohol restrictions in Queensland's Indigenous communities may have brought favourable changes, a significant achievement after a long period of poorly regulated alcohol availability from the 1980s up to 2002. Subsequently, over the past decade, an urgency to access and consume illicit alcohol appears to have emerged. It is not clear that relaxing restrictions would reverse the harmful impacts of AMPs without significant demand reduction, treatment and diversion efforts.
AB - Background: Favourable impacts are reported from complex alcohol control strategies, known as ‘Alcohol Management Plans’ (AMPs) implemented 14 years ago in 19 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) communities in Queensland (Australia). However, it is not clear that all communities benefited and that positive impacts were sustained. Service providers, key stakeholders and community leaders provided insights about issues and impacts. Methods: Participants (N = 382) were recruited from knowledgeable and experienced persons using agency lists and by recommendation across sectors which have a mandate for managing alcohol-related issues and consequences of AMP policies in communities. In semi-structured interviews, participants (51% Indigenous, 55% male and comprised of at least one-third local community residents) were asked whether they believed alcohol controls had been effective and to describe any favourable and unfavourable outcomes experienced or perceived. Inductive techniques were used for thematic analysis of the content of transcribed recorded interviews. Comments reflecting themes were assessed across service sectors, by gender, Indigenous status and remoteness. Results: Participants attributed reduced violence and improved community amenity to AMPs, particularly for ‘very remote’ communities. Participants’ information suggests that these important achievements happened abruptly but may have become undermined over time by: the availability of illicit alcohol and an urgency to consume it; migration to larger centres to seek alcohol; criminalization; substitution of illicit drugs for alcohol; changed drinking behaviours and discrimination. Most issues were more frequently linked with ‘very remote’ communities. Conclusion: Alcohol restrictions in Queensland's Indigenous communities may have brought favourable changes, a significant achievement after a long period of poorly regulated alcohol availability from the 1980s up to 2002. Subsequently, over the past decade, an urgency to access and consume illicit alcohol appears to have emerged. It is not clear that relaxing restrictions would reverse the harmful impacts of AMPs without significant demand reduction, treatment and diversion efforts.
KW - Alcohol
KW - Alcohol policy
KW - Indigenous Australian
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84982958220&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.drugpo.2016.06.015
DO - 10.1016/j.drugpo.2016.06.015
M3 - Article
C2 - 27518836
AN - SCOPUS:84982958220
VL - 36
SP - 67
EP - 75
JO - International Journal of Drug Policy
JF - International Journal of Drug Policy
SN - 0955-3959
ER -