NSW Alcohol Summit: getting a better grip on our favourite drug.

ON 9 MARCH 2003, during the New South Wales state election campaign, Premier Bob Carr announced that a re-elected Labor government would convene a state summit on alcohol. The 1999 NSW Drug Summit and the 2002 Obesity Summit were obvious models. The 1999 Drug Summit, also conceived during a state election campaign, was generally considered to have been successful. It developed a realistic policy framework and substantially increased funding to improve prevention, community and treatment services to reduce problems resulting from illicit drug use in NSW. However, the problems arising from alcohol greatly exceed those of illicit drugs, and, as our favourite drug provides both considerable benefits as well as sizeable costs, these problems are more complex for communities to grapple with. The Alcohol Summit was held in the NSW Parliament from 26 to 29 August 2003, and involved key government departments (including Health, Police, Gaming and Racing, and the Cabinet Office), as well as health professionals, such as Emeritus Professor Ian Webster, the doyen of the alcohol and drug field in Australia, and industry and community representatives. The Summit comprised plenary sessions with national and international invited speakers who are international authorities on the prevention of alcohol-Committee on the Prevention of Alcohol-Related Problems); 10 working groups addressing specific issues; and site visits to drug and alcohol services to enable parliamentarians to inspect treatment facilities at first hand. All members of the NSW Legislative Assembly and Council were invited to attend the Summit along with 131 delegates from diverse backgrounds. Two one-day satellite meetings preceding the Summit addressed alcohol problems in young people and Aboriginal people, respectively.