Leaked hospital data reveals alcohol-related presentations at Alice Springs Hospital emergency department have dropped dramatically since liquor bans were reinstated in the region.
Long-term Aboriginal community alcohol bans lapsed in mid-2022, with little consultation or support provided by either the Commonwealth or the Northern Territory government to help deal with the transition.
Six months later, after a spike in crime and hospital presentations in the Central Australian town, the territory government moved to reinstate the bans to dozens of communities in February this year.
Now, monthly hospital data reveals significant drops in presentations since the bans were reintroduced and other alcohol restrictions — including slashed bottle shop hours — came into play.
There were fewer than 100 domestic violence presentations to Alice Springs Hospital's emergency department in February this year, compared with a peak of 246 in December 2022.
Alcohol-related presentations have also dropped by nearly half since the return of the bans, with 390 cases recorded in the hospital in February, compared with 731 cases in December.
Chief Minister Natasha Fyles today welcomed the drop in alcohol-related presentations.
"We now need to work through longer-term [plans], based off hospital and police data, as well as feedback from the community — what needs to stay in place for the longer term," Ms Fyles said.
"We have seen a considerable drop, but we also need to look at year-on-year [data].
"And, also, what we often see with alcohol policies is [that] a measure is brought in and there's an initial spike in reduction, and then that does ease. So we'll consider a number of factors."
'Too early' to assess, says senator
Country Liberal Party senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price told ABC Radio Alice Springs it was important to continue monitoring the data, warning that it was too early to draw conclusions.
"It's only been a short period of time," Senator Price said.
She also called for more funding for sobering-up shelters, which provide supervised accommodation and care for people who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
"I'm also aware that … there's been a doubling of hospital referrals to dry-out shelters," Senator Price said.
"I want to see more investment and support for drug and alcohol services throughout the Northern Territory as well."
The territory government has never admitted responsibility for the fallout from the bans lifting, consistently blaming the former Coalition government in Canberra for letting them lapse.
Ms Fyles today continued to stand by her government's actions prior to the bans lifting.
