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The Impact of Alcohol Misuse: a Northern Territory Perspective

AMA National Alcohol Summit Canberra, 28-29 October 2014

Howard BathNorthern Territory Children’s Commissioner

Estimated per capita consumption—Litres of Pure alcohol, 2004-05 to 2012-13

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2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-1310

11

12

13

14

15

16

15.21 15.15

14.514.75

14.02

13.6613.34 13.36

12.84

10.49 10.5010.76 10.75 10.63 10.53

10.3010.05

NT Australia

Source: DoB 2013 and ABS 2013.

Children who are developmentally vulnerable on two or more domains of the AEDI 2012 (percentages)

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Australia All Australia Indigenous NT Indigenous NT Indigenous Very Remote

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

10.8%

26.0%

38.2%

49.9%

Source: AEDI (2013)

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Substantiations by Type of Abuse/Neglect, 2009-10 to 2013-14 (percentages of total)

2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-140%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

51%49%

53%

47%50%

22%

26%29%

35%

30%

19%20%

15% 17% 18%

8% 5%

3%1% 2%

Neglect Emotional Physical SexualSource: DCF 2014

.

Number of Children in Care by Aboriginality, 30 June 2010 to 30 June 2014

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30-Jun-10 30-Jun-11 30-Jun-12 30-Jun-13 30-Jun-140

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

438

529578

624

791

133 127 125 126 131

AboriginalNon-Aboriginal

Source: DCF 2014

80% to 100% school attendance of Aboriginal children in the NT by Region, 2009-2013

2009 2010 2011 2012 201310%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

63%64%

67% 67%69%

46% 46%

52% 53%55%

38%36%

34% 33% 32%34% 35%

31% 31% 29%

26% 26%24%

27% 26%

17% 14% 14%16%

13%

Darwin

Palmerston and Rural

Alice Springs

Katherine

Barkly

Arnhem

Source: Department of Education (2014).

Rate per 100,000 of Alcohol Related Assaults by Region 12 months ending January 2014

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Source: AGD 2014, QPS 2012 and VP 2013* The Qld and Vic rate is based on 2011-12 data and is of overall assaults not just incidents involving alcohol..

Tennant Creek Katherine Alice Springs Nhulunbuy NT Balance Darwin Palmerston Northern Territory

Queensland* Victoria*0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

15,457

4,857 4,703

1,5651,145 1,253

726

1,956

449 751

Violence in the Northern Territory

• Aboriginal people in the NT are twice as likely to be hospitalised for assault as are Aboriginal people in the rest of Australia (AIHW).

• The latest Closing the Gap report revealed that the night patrols which were set up as a first response to violence or potential violence, dealt with over 84,700 incidents in the last 6 month reporting period, or 160,000 incidents p.a. – that is in a target area of around 30,000 adults.

Hospitalisation of NT Indigenous women due to assault, 2008-09 – 2011-12

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2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12800

850

900

950

1,000

1,050

1,100

821

842

905

1,059

Source: Adapted from AIHW Analysis of the National Hospital Morbidity Database*

Hospitalisation rates of NT Indigenous women due to assault, 2008-9 - 2011-12

10

2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-120

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

24.7 24.1

26.3

30.5

10.2 10.29.4 10

0.6 0.5 0.6 0.6

0.6 0.3 0.4 0.5

NT Indigenous

Aust Indigenous

Aust All

NT Non-indigenous

Source: Adapted from AIHW Analysis of the National Hospital Morbidity Database*

Violence in the Northern Territory

• Aboriginal women in the NT make up only 0.3% of all Australian women, but they account for 16% of the hospitalisations for assault.

• In 2011-12, 34 non-Indigenous women had

assault related admissions to hospital in the NT. In the same period 1,059 Aboriginal women were admitted.

Source: AIHW Analysis of the National Hospital Morbidity Database*

Children who are developmentally vulnerable on two or more domains of the AEDI, 2009 and 2012 (percentages)

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Source: AEDI (2010 & 2013)

11.9%

29.5%

46.8%

54.3%

10.8%

26.0%

38.2%

49.9%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

Australia Australia Indigenous NT Indigenous NT Indigenous VeryRemote

2009

2012

Indigenous Children who are ‘on track’ on 4 or more domains of the AEDI, 2009 and 2012 (percentages)

13

Source: AEDI (2010 & 2013)

NT East Arnhem0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

27.7%

19.4%

32.8%

29.9%

20092012

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In my beginning is my endT.S. Eliot