Battle of the binge

BINGE drinking was on the agenda at Emerald Junior Football Club last Tuesday, but in name only.
The occasion was the first forum in the outer south-east, and the second in the state, for secondary students to discuss drinking habits with two people who might form public policy in future.
Students from Emerald Secondary College, Monbulk Secondary College, St Francis Xavier Beaconsfield, and Marter Christi College sat at the table with Opposition MPs Edward O’Donohue and Mary Wooldridge, telling them some hard facts about young people’s abuse of alcohol.
Mr O’Donohue said later he was surprised at the depth of perspective and the maturity of the students.
Access to alcohol was easy, the students said, and for some, binge drinking started as early as Year Eight or Nine.
Price increases on pre-mixed drinks would not reduce the consumption of alcohol but would merely encourage young people to mix their own, the students said.
Isolation could be a factor in alcohol abuse among young people, Mr O’Donohue said, in areas where transport and recreational facilities were inadequate.
The MPs will use feedback from the forum to formulate their own policy on alcohol and drug abuse.