AADANT Policy Priorities for the 2024 Northern Territory (NT) Election

Principles. Ensure that all NT Alcohol & Other Drug (AOD) policies & programs are funded to:

a) Reduce harm. Align with the National Drug Strategy pillars to reduce harm, supply and demand.
b) Treat AOD as a health & social issue. Recognise that AOD issues are primarily health and social issues that should be addressed with evidence-based health and social interventions.
c) Embed self-determination. Reflect a commitment to justice and self-determination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by prioritising their voices in decision-making.
d) Integrate lived experience. Build AOD lived experience into co-design and co-production.
e) Prevent stigma. Avoid and reduce stigma and discrimination towards people who use AOD, ensuring access to health services, housing and employment.
f) Incorporate evidence. Ensure all approaches and measures are evidence informed.

Primary prevention / system change - address social & commercial determinants of health.

1. Develop an alcohol action plan & a long-term drug strategy. Update the NT Alcohol Action Plan with funded commitments and develop a long-term NT Drug Strategy aligned with the National Drug Strategy. Ensure lived experience and the role of AOD in gendered violence are incorporated into the plan and strategy.
2. Address commercial determinants. Implement industry conflict of interest policies; a strong regulatory framework with strict enforcement and independent AOD research. End political donations from the alcohol industry and end industry partnerships in public health programs.
3. Deliver effective education campaigns. Implement targeted, non-stigmatising, evidence-based education campaigns to reduce harm, eg. on NHMRC alcohol guidelines, FASD (eg. NACCHO’s ‘Strong Born’), drink driving and school education programs.
4. Implement Riley review & licensing reforms. Continue to implement Riley Review reforms, eg. retain risk-based licencing (RBL) with higher penalties for licence breaches, and further extend the licence moratorium. Regulate online sales and delivery (OS&D) of alcohol.

Secondary prevention / early intervention - support communities with social programs.

5. Fund accessible social services and healthcare screening. Ensure that communities have equitable access to culturally responsive, trauma-informed and non-stigmatising health, social, housing and community services by providing adequately secure and indexed funding. Provide AOD screening and brief interventions in primary healthcare settings.
6. Facilitate community-driven programs. Follow the NT Government’s ‘Remote Engagement Strategy’ principles in supporting communities to develop and implement community-driven approaches, including community alcohol plans (CAPs) for opting out of alcohol restrictions.
7. Ensure banned drinkers register (BDR) and alcohol mandatory treatment (AMT) are evidence informed. Defer any further implementation of BDR and AMT until current review recommendations can be implemented and ensure adequate public consultation with all relevant stakeholders on the findings and any reform options.

Tertiary prevention / treatment - support people with accessible AOD services.

8. Fund accessible AOD treatment services. Ensure that people experiencing problematic AOD use have equitable access to culturally responsive, trauma-informed and non-stigmatising AOD treatment and support services by providing secure and indexed funding.
9. Invest in AOD workforce development. Develop an updated AOD workforce development strategy with targeted planning, resourcing, and career pathways, to recruit and retain a skilled workforce, in the NT AOD sector.
10. Support the justice system to respond to AOD as a health issue. Raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 years and establish an inquiry into decriminalisation of illicit drugs. Expand AOD diversion programs, prioritising treatment over incarceration. Ensure treatment services are accessible for people in the justice system, and support for those exiting the justice system.