13 April 2007 Media statement

Cost of alcohol misuse in the billions

"If you want action on New Zealand's drug problem, you have to roll up your sleeves. You have to work on a lot of fronts at once  on education, on treatment and on enforcement," Associate Minister of Health Jim Anderton said today at a function marking the tenth anniversary of New Zealand's Alcohol and Drug Helpline.

He said that New Zealand has a problem admitting the seriousness of its alcohol problem. "And our problems have a cost. According to the Ministry of Health, the social costs of alcohol misuse alone total between $1.5 billion and $2.4 billion a year.

"But economic measures don't really describe the full extent of the damage to individuals, to families, and to the strength of communities. Drugs affect whole communities: the parents of users, users themselves, and those whom some users offend against. They are all affected, as are schools, local business and just about everyone involved in local community life."

Jim Anderton said that the Helpline is an example of how the community can make a difference, saying that however valuable government and other agency work is, it will never be a replacement for community involvement. "I want to particularly commend the volunteers who have made up the core of the Helpline service since it began. Though there is now money for paid staff to operate the service, a pool of volunteer help is still maintained. Without the dedication and contribution of those volunteers, the Helpline would probably not have survived. Our community is glued together by the willing contribution of volunteers."

Contact Jim Anderton on 021 777 680
Or Liz Grant (Press Secretary) on 04 4719172, Mobile: 021 2279172
Email Liz.Grant@parliament.govt.nz

www.beehive.govt.nz/anderton www.progressiveparty.org.nz

Background
The Alcohol Drug Association of New Zealand (ADANZ) is the host organisation for the Alcohol Drug Helpline.

The Alcohol Drug Helpline is an information, referral and intervention service. Although ADANZ hosts the service, funding is a joint arrangement between the Alcohol Advisory Council (ALAC) of New Zealand and the Ministry of Health.

The Helpline began in 1995, as an alcohol-focused service for the Canterbury area, initially called the Alcohol Helpline and operating from 7pm - 11pm.

By November 1996, the Alcohol Helpline had evolved into a national service with extended hours from 2pm - 10pm and a resulting increase in calls.

At the end of 2002, with funding from the Ministry of Health, the Alcohol Helpline service was extended to include other drugs and became known as the Alcohol & Drug Helpline. In 2006, there was an official launch of the renamed Alcohol Drug Helpline.

In July 2006, a new statistical database for the Alcohol Drug Helpline was developed. In the same year it conducted its first stand alone media campaign and developed informational resources for the public of New Zealand. Both of these initiatives were funded by the Ministry of Health.

This occasion is to celebrate the achievement of 10 years of service to the nation by the Alcohol Drug Helpline.

Ends

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