Excise for a health kick
Kerry-Anne Walsh; 27/4/08
The Rudd Government last night made a daring assault on teenage binge drinking by lifting taxes on lollypop alcohol drinks. The lightning tax change - which increased excise on “alcopop” drinks from 39.36 cents a litre to 66.67 cents - took effect as the clock struck midnight. The impact on the cost of ready-to-drink products - a soaring market aimed squarely at young drinkers - will be between 30 cents and $1.30 a drink. The move was prompted by alarming findings in the 2007 National Drug Strategy Household Survey which tracked a steep rise in drinking among teenage girls. The survey found that teenage girls bucked the norm of females having more responsible drinking habits than males.
See: http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/excise-for-a-health-kick/2008/04/27/1208743330349.html
Girls binge on smokes, booze and drugs
Maxine Frith; 27/4/08
Smoking, drinking and taking outlawed drugs are in decline in Australia - with the worrying exception of teenage girls. The annual National Drug Strategy Household Survey raises concerns of a growing “ladette” culture in Australia that is putting girls at risk of long-term harm from binge drinking, tobacco addiction and Class A drugs. The findings come from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, which surveys more than 20,000 people each year to gauge trends.
See: http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/girls-binge-on-smokes-booze-and-drugs/2008/04/27/1208743316931.html
Tags: Australia, Drugs, Young People