It's time to kick the alcohol habit too

Moe mai ra e nga koroua, moe ma ra. Hoki atu ki tua o te arai, ki o tupuna, ki o hoa. Moe mai e Bob Watene raua ko Bill Osborne, no Whanganui, nga tama a Tumatauenga, nga hoia o D Company.

"In the days that have now gone, when Maoris went to war, they fought and fought until the last man died for the honour of their tribe ..." - Anaia Amohau, 1940, Ake ake kia kaha ra.

Over the last few weeks, I have been heartened by report after report showing that New Zealand is turning the tide on the socially hazardous habit of smoking. Not only are people giving up at an increasing rate, we also have a whole generation of young people actively choosing a smoke-free future.

While it is fantastic news that we are making progress towards achieving our goal of Aotearoa being a smoke-free nation by 2025, I cannot help but think of other bad habits we need to kick to create real social transformation.

One that really stands out is alcohol.

This week I received an email from a group called Alcohol Action NZ, lobbying us as politicians to get tougher on alcohol reform. Their message was clear:

1. Public support for alcohol reform is very high.

2. Alcohol harm to others is very high and children are particularly vulnerable.

The group reminded me that if we are serious about addressing whanau wellbeing and children's wellbeing, then we must address the alcohol issue.

They told me that while the Alcohol Reform Bill was a start, we need to do more than raise the alcohol purchase age. We need to address the pricing, accessibility and advertising. We also need to do more to address the issue of drunk driving.

I want to say here that I support all of these suggested measures. The Maori Party worked hard to influence the development of the Alcohol Reform Bill and I know our advice helped to shape the legislation put before the House. But we can do more.

I have seen, through our work in the area of tobacco reform, that we can make a real difference if we choose to do so. The old adage goes: where there is a will there is a way. And I personally plan to get tough on alcohol.

It is a substance that is more than just harmful to an individual, it is harmful to whanau and to communities.

Alcohol harm costs us $5 billion per year and the statistics paint a grim picture. One in six adults has a potentially harmful drinking habit; three out of every four Maori adults are drinkers, with one of those three identifying themselves as binge drinkers; 300 alcohol-related offences occur every day and one third of all police apprehensions are alcohol-related; and between 600 and 1000 people per year die from alcohol-related causes including injury, cancer and other chronic diseases.

Excessive alcohol consumption not only impairs decision-making but can also lead to violence and other harmful activities. It is both shameful and sad that our children are the most vulnerable to the impacts of alcohol.

I have publicly endorsed those communities who have made a stand in seeking to close liquor outlets in close proximity to schools or who have advocated for removing alcohol from supermarkets and dairies.

We must address these relentless social hazards within our community. We can turn the tide and we can start a movement that can change the future for many of our whanau in Aotearoa.

Change can start with one person, but the effects can ripple out to the whole community. I intend to stand up for alcohol reform in Parliament and I hope that you will do the same in your whare, in your whanau and in your community.

If we can do for alcohol what we have done for smoking, then we can transform the future of this country for the benefit of our tamariki and mokopuna.