Shelters for drunks a 'bandaid' measure: police Shelters for drunks a 'bandaid' measure: police - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Search the ABC
* News Home
* The World Today
* Radio Australia News
* NewsRadio
Hot topics: australia, sport, government-and-politics, qld, community-and-society, nrl, rugby-league, nsw, federal-government, united-states
Email
Shelters for drunks a 'bandaid' measure: police
By Alison Middleton
Posted March 15, 2010 11:00:00
The Northern Territory Police Commissioner John McRoberts says excessive drinking in Alice Springs is an acute problem.
The Commissioner walked the streets of Alice Springs last Friday night and says across 24 hours more than 100 people were taken into protective custody
Mr McRoberts says the 26-bed sobering up shelter was at capacity a number of times and the overflow was taken to the watch-house.
Last year, a study found alcohol sales in the town had dropped by 18 per cent since the introduction of restrictions but Mr McRoberts says intoxication is still a problem and there is no quick fix.
"I suspect building shelters is really only a stop gap or a bandaid measure," he said.
"The more shelters we build ultimately the more drunks we may have to put in them.
"So we've got to deal with the problem of excessive alcohol consumption that has a very negative impact on those individuals' well being and indeed other members of the community."
Mr McRoberts says he will talk to his colleagues and the government about how to reduce excessive drinking of alcohol in Alice Springs.
"We've got too [many] people who are so intoxicated that they can't take care of themselves," he said.
"And what we've now go to do is look at ways we can reduce that.
"We've got to look at why people are intoxicated at the level they are."
Meanwhile the People's Alcohol Action Coalition is urging the Northern Territory Government to release data every three months on per capita alcohol sales and consumption.
The Coalition's Dr John Boffa is calling for a minimum alcohol price and restricted takeaway trading hours across the Territory.
Dr Boffa says data on alcohol consumption should be made available to measure whether restrictions are having any effect.
"We need that data, everyone needs it to know whether anything we're doing is having an impact because clearly effective strategies are going to reduce the sales and consumption of alcohol," he said.
The Government says comprehensive data on alcohol consumption is available on the Justice Department's website.
Tags: police, alcohol, australia, nt, alice-springs-0870
Search ABC News
Featured Video
*
Video Israel-United States rift widens following Israel's announcement to build new homes in East Jerusalem.
Video New Zealander Shaun Quincey has become the second person to row across the Tasman.
Video Hockey highlights: Australia wins the World Cup after a 24-year hiatus.
Video Barack Obama's visit to Australia has been delayed, as he tries to get his healthcare reforms through Congress.
The ABC News Online Investigative Unit encourages whistleblowers, and others with access to information they believe should be revealed for the public good, to contact us.
In pictures
Australia's men's hockey players avenge previous heartbreak by winning the World Cup.
'Child slave'
Former Scientologist breaks silence on "nightmare childhood" after Senate blocks a full inquiry into the organisation.
Pill may prevent cancer
Australian experts are divided over British research which says the pill is good for women.
Hey Mr Tamborine Man
Landline's Sean Murphy reports on a Queensland distillery that has risen from humble beginnings to become the toast of the world.
Top Stories
* CSIRO chief defends climate science (audio)
* Abbott's climate stance pure politics: Turnbull (video)
* Solo rower celebrates trans-Tasman feat (audio)
* Overuse of CT scans 'putting patients at risk' (audio)
* Pardon sought for Breaker Morant
* Weakened cyclone closes in on Qld coast (audio)
* Gallagher clinches slalom bronze (video)
* 1 million roofs need safety check: Opposition (audio)
* US blasts Israel's settlement decision
* Thailand's red shirts deliver ultimatum (video) (audio)
Just In
* Market opens little changed
* Senators urged to visit planned waste dump site
* Poll shows hung Tasmanian Parliament likely
* New legal panel to focus on climate change (audio)
* Inquiry begins into massive oil leak
* Solo rower celebrates trans-Tasman feat (audio) (photos)
* Wong puts $100m on table for water buyback
* Grand final loss still a win for Bombers
* Tiger could return within weeks: PGA boss
* 'Hit teams' kill US consular staff in Mexico
Most Popular Today
* Girl's sweet touch saves Mum's life
* Hadrian's Wall lit after 1,600 years of darkness
* Rudd weighs into drink-driving debate
* Mr Shuffles wobbles into new home
* A matter of taste: the crappuccino delicacy
* Weakened cyclone closes in on Qld coast
* Conditions of Use
Feedback
* Contact Us
* Corrections & Clarifications
This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced.
AEDT = Australian Eastern Daylight Time which is 11 hours ahead of UTC (Greenwich Mean Time)
(c) 2010 ABC Privacy Policy
I thought this page was interesting because:
| re:1.93 st:0.02 fo:0 s:0.01 d:2.2 c:0 db:0.02 a:0.45 m:0.14 t:6.67 (f) |
| ![:-] Bot! - home](/bot/images/dsbotface1.gif ":-] Bot! - home")
