Drop in underage drinking a priority

Reducing underage drinking in Mandurah is a priority for local government, with a new holistic strategy set to start this week in an attempt to tackle the issue.

The City of Mandurah will launch its Our Mandurah Community Youth Alcohol Strategy tomorrow in collaboration with a host of stakeholders from the region.

The initiative will provide a framework to assist in the reduction of underage drinking through the promotion of alcohol-free events and an increase in prevalent messages within the community.

This information will be presented to both youngsters and their guardians and will reiterate the laws surrounding the supply of alcohol to minors.

City of Mandurah Mayor Marina Vergone said alcohol consumption by young people was a concerning issue that needed to be tackled from many angles.

“It’s vital that we keep our youth safe and we need to help them deal with alcohol-related challenges that they face,” she said.

“The City works in partnership with other stakeholders to ensure the necessary services, facilities and opportunities are provided so that Mandurah continues to be a place that our young people are proud to call home.”

The South Metropolitan Population Health Unit health promotion co-ordinator Richard Crane said it played a key role in the drafting phase of the strategy and looked forward to building on its support in the implementation stage.

“We’ll support the strategy by continuing to engage with key community stakeholders and parents through our parenting education and school programs,” he said.

“An overwhelming majority of parents already understand that no alcohol is the safest choice for young people aged under 18 years, so we’re keen to see the initiative being supported by even more families.”

The City will work alongside School Drug Education and Road Aware, South Metropolitan Population Health Unit, Palmerston Association Inc, and the WA Police to deliver a potential solution to the issue.