alcohol

Density of liquor licences linked to domestic violence in NSW study

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This is not surprising as people use alcohol as an excuse for D.V.

From the ABC:

Density of liquor licences linked to domestic violence in NSW study

Updated about an hour ago

MAP: NSW

Researchers have identified a “tipping point” linking rapid rises in the rate of domestic violence to the number of liquor outlets in an area.

A study by the New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics shows the frequency of domestic assaults jumps rapidly in local government areas where there are more than two hotels per 1,000 residents.

The statewide research also found that non-domestic assaults “increased markedly” in such areas, while violence was also linked to the number of other liquor outlets such as clubs.

Bureau director Dr Don Weatherburn said the study may help planning authorities, who receive many applications for additional liquor licences.

From the report:

Overall, the results of this investigation confirm that there is a relationship between the concentration of licensed premises in a particular area and levels of assault, even after controlling for other covariates.

Our work suggests that new hotel licences in areas where the concentration of hotels is already above two per 1,000 residents should be of particular concern to regulatory authorities.

Source: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research

“Up to this stage they haven’t had a threshold. They’ve often come to the bureau and said, well is there a threshold number? Is there some kind of point at which it becomes a big problem?” he said.

“We haven’t known the answer to that question and now I think we’re starting to get and inkling of at what point you really need to think carefully about agreeing to handing out additional liquor licences.”

Dr Weatherburn said the relationship between violence and the density of liquor outlets was a complex one, but the big surprise was how rapidly assault rates rose once the critical threshold was reached.

“You’ve got a bit of tipping point there once you pass the two mark for hotels,” he said.

“That’s when your problems start to escalate.

“There are very few places in New South Wales that have more than that number.

“Most of them are located in country areas like Hay or Bourke or Harden or Bland, and these areas do have significant problems with alcohol-related violence.”

Dr Weatherburn said the research backed up similar findings in Victoria and would be presented at the Applied Research in Crime and Justice Conference in Darling Harbour.

Map showing domestic violence ratesPHOTO: Coloured map showing the rates of domestic violence across local government areas in New South Wales.(NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research)

Christians, Drugs, Alcohol and Coffee

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I was shocked to get this answer from a guy on a mission team when I asked him how he had slept: “Not too well. I normally smoke some weed at night to help me calm down.” His pastor assured me that he is receiving prayer and help to deal with this addiction, so, like all of us, he is a work in progress.

Apart from the fact that marijuana is illegal here, this raises all sorts of questions for me about our attitude to drugs. By drugs I mean any chemical other than food or prescription drugs used to change our state of mind. There are a whole lot of grey areas here, such as anti-depressants which are a boon to people struggling with chemical imbalances but can become over-prescribed to medicate sadness.

Let’s look at some common examples:

  • the use of weed to help with sleep
  • needing a glass of wine or beer (or two or three glasses) after work to relax
  • taking “uppers” to help with long work hours
  • needing the cup of coffee to get started in the morning
  • smoking

Caffeine, for most of us, is harmless. It stimulates the body a little bit and doesn’t have any long term effects on the body. However it is being used in larger quantities in so-called energy drinks and in many soft drinks. If you regularly “need” caffeine to keep going then there is a problem. If you need coffee before you can face humanity in the morning there is an addiction issue.

Christ came to set us free from every bondage. I like tea and coffee, and I used to drink wine some times. I have never been addicted to any of these things. If I were to start to depend on them to make me feel good, then I would no longer be free. When we depend on anything other than Christ, we are in captivity.

Paul writes in Galatians 5:1:

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

To say that I need anything other than Christ is idolatry. We are saying that God doesn’t really meet our needs, and we will only be happy if we have something in addition to what He gives us in Christ. This of course is the original temptation in the Garden of Eden. Eve didn’t really believe that God had given her all that she needed and much more. We often don’t really believe God’s word either.

Modern idolatry takes all kinds of forms- sex, possessions, sports, entertainment, drugs. In each from there is an element of placing something at the centre of our desires (that’s what worship really means) that is not God. To be dependent on drugs is to bow down to an idol.

Addiction, particularly to drugs which alter our state of mind, is a gateway for spiritual bondage. There is a spirit of addiction which keeps us dependent. If you open your spirit to an evil spirit, there is no room for the Holy Spirit. We are each meant to be a temple of the Holy Spirit, so no unclean thing should be allowed access.

Relying on chemicals, whether legal or not, inhaled, injected, eaten or drunk, holds us back from maturity. We are looking to them and not to Christ for our fulfilment.

If you are struggling with any addiction  and you are a follower of Jesus, then you need to repent, ask for grace to overcome and seek help from trusted people. The Lord has the strength to overcome this in you.

Teenagers Drinking Less

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This is very good news for people worried about reports of teens drinking more and taking drugs.

From the ABC:

Half of Australian teenagers avoiding alcohol: study

By Norman Hermant and Alison Branley

A rising number of Australian teenagers are choosing not to drink alcohol, new research shows.

The findings of a survey of more than 2,500 young people published today in the medical journal Addiction shows half of Australian teens do not drink.

Between 2001 and 2010 the number of teens aged 14 to 17 abstaining from alcohol rose from 33 per cent to more than 50 per cent, the research shows.

The study looked at 1,477 teens in 2001 and 1,075 teens in 2010.

Study author Dr Michael Livingston from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre says the trend away from drinking alcohol is widespread and it also reflects similar studies both in Australia and overseas.

“It’s really happening across the whole youth culture,” he said.

“It’s happening for boys and girls, young teenagers and old teenagers, in rich and poor households, for English speaking and non-English speaking groups.”

Teenagers drinking less but not turning to drugs

The study also shows teens have not abandoned alcohol in favour of illegal drugs or smoking.

“In this same group we’ve seen a reduction in drug use. Quite a dramatic one over the same period,” Dr Livingston said.

There’s also a sense that the current generation is very focused on health and well-being and this is one step they’re taking to try and stay fitter and healthier.

Dr Michael Livingston

“These kids are drinking less; they’re not taking drugs.”

Researchers have theories about why young people are making different choices at a time when alcohol is cheaper and more heavily promoted than ever.

“We know from other survey data the general public is getting more concerned about alcohol as a problem and so we’re thinking possibly that’s reflected in parenting practices, also in teenagers’ beliefs,” Dr Livingston said.

“There’s also a sense that the current generation is very focused on health and well-being and this is one step they’re taking to try and stay fitter and healthier.

“There’s some research from Sweden that just engaging in [online] activities, social networking and gaming, is associated with less drinking.”

Good news for Life Education

The study’s findings have been welcomed by Life Education, which teaches Australian primary school students about healthy habits.

National program development manager Robyn Richardson says the research helps bust myths among young people about drinking.

“Children in primary school are telling us that they know that when they go to high school there’s going to be pressures to drink and that most people in high school are drinking and we’re actually readjusting their thinking about that,” she said.

“This report is confirming that normalisation, that there’s safe and healthy choices around drinking and it’s an OK choice not to drink and it’s an OK choice for your friends not to drink.

“The reality is most young people are making great choices about their health and safety.”

Read the article here