Darren Cheeseman (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to make a statement on the issue of alcohol and binge drinking, particularly among young people. I want to start by pointing out some figures released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare at the recent Senate estimates which define the problem of binge drinking. The director of the institute, Dr Penny Allbon, stated that 9.1 per cent of young people aged 14 to 19 drink at risky or high-risk levels at least once a week. That is approximately 170,000 young Australians.

The city of Geelong in my electorate has a problem. We have had some terrible incidents in Geelong involving binge drinking and a very recent incident where young partygoers, fuelled by alcohol, pelted police with bottles and debris. We have had people bashed to within an inch of their lives due to binge drinking. We have had knifings; we have had young women brutally raped. Every night we have young people arrested, babbling incoherently. Often drugs are involved, but almost always binge drinking is involved as well.

Some local media in my region are running a very important campaign to educate young people and to get some action on this issue. Recently a very good piece was written in the Geelong Advertiser by Danny Lannen. Danny put the issue more succinctly than I could. I propose to read a part of his piece out for the benefit of members. It is a piece that deserves to be put on the record in this place. The piece is in response to the Geelong Advertiser’s ‘Just Think’ campaign—a very important social initiative by that paper and I totally commend them for their effort. The piece is titled: ‘Think before you drink; it’s a clear message’ It says:

Just think.

Just think about the instant the head hits the concrete.

Think about the way the skin splits, the blood leaks and the skull breaks.

Think about the reaction of the traumatised brain.

Think about a life abruptly in peril. Think about a life perhaps forever changed. Think about the potential perhaps never realised.

Think about family members, white with shock at the measure of injury suffered by their loved one.

Think about the sense of emergency as the body lies listless on the footpath.

Think about the medical response and how swift and sure it needs to be.

Think about the precious seconds.

Think about that body in freefall before the sickening landing.

Think about the malicious king hit, which sent it flying without warning.

Think about the attacker and the cowardly act.

Think how stupidly insignificant and futile the reason for the flash of rage might have been.

Think about a night which started out in innocence, but became distorted in a wash of alcohol ...

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