Alcohol Management History
Tackling the Problem
In Cape York Partnerships' first policy documents, we argued that substance abuse has to be tackled as a problem in its own right.
- Dysfunction and substance abuse are not necessarily maintained by the legacy of dispossession; a few risk factors (such as idle time, money to spend and access to alcohol) can trigger an epidemic of drinking that becomes a self perpetuating problem.
- Substance abuse epidemics directly cause Indigenous communities' problems, exacerbate existing problems, or in any case frustrate and prevent any solutions to these problems.
Establishing Alcohol Management Plans
In 2002, Cape York Partnerships and Apunipima published the Cape York Peninsula Substance Abuse Strategy and proposed an inquiry into the problems of Cape York communities.
The Cape York Justice Study by Justice Tony Fitzgerald, which was brought about by Cape York's advocacy, prompted the Queensland Government to legislate for Alcohol Management Plans.
In late 2002, Cape York Partnerships assisted the Aurukun community to establish the first Alcohol Management Plans. The Queensland Government then introduced similar plans elsewhere.
Education History >