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Apunipima welcomes Alcohol inquiry by Juliana Doupe 16 March 2014
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punipima Cape York Health Council welcomes the recently announced House of Representatives Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs inquiry into the harmful use of alcohol in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. ‘The impact of alcohol on Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities is severe and communities and community controlled organisations need to be part of the solution,’ said Apunipima CEO Cleveland Fagan. ‘Communities recognise that alcohol and substance abuse and misuse are not problems which occur in a vacuum. Investigating the social determinants of alcohol fuelled harm is a critical part of identifying, developing and implementing sustainable solutions. Communities and community controlled organisations will play a vital role in developing such solutions.’ Mr Fagan said Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) were big issues on the Cape. ‘FASD is big problem on Cape York and probably under diagnosed. Apunipima is encouraged to see the Committee will take a close look at FASD, particularly in the areas of capturing hard data and declaring the condition a disability. ‘We note that the Chair of this inquiry is Dr Sharman Stone, a member of the 2012 House of
Cleveland Fagan, CEO Apunipima Cape York Health Council with Dr Mark Wenitong: Image supplied.
Representatives committee which conducted an inquiry into Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. We believe she will bring a wealth of knowledge on the condition to these proceedings.’ Terms of Reference: The Committee will inquire into and report on the harmful use of alcohol in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, with a particular focus on: • Patterns of supply of, and demand for alcohol in different Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, age groups and genders • The social and economic determinants of harmful alcohol use across Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
• Trends and prevalence of alcohol related harm, including alcohol-fuelled violence and impacts on newborns e.g. Foetal Alcohol Syndrome and Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders • The implications of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome and Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders being declared disabilities • Best practice treatments and support for minimising alcohol misuse and alcoholrelated harm • Best practice strategies to minimise alcohol misuse and alcohol-related harm • Best practice identification to include international and domestic comparisons
National NAIDOC Poster Competition and nominations for the National NAIDOC Awards are now open. Forms are available online at www.naidoc.org.au or at your nearest Indigenous Coordination Centre. Poster competition entries close Friday 28 March. Award nominations close Wednesday 23 April.
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