Inverell Shire Council and licensed premises in town have worked closely with the Alcohol Action in Rural Communities (AARC) project to identify which factors in rural towns predict a higher rate of alcohol-related traffic crashes. Analysing data obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census and the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority, the AARC study found that rural towns with a greater proportion of young male residents aged 15 to 24 experienced significantly more alcohol-related traffic accidents than rural communities with an older population.

The AARC said these findings indicate that community-members should work together to reduce the level of harm in their community caused by young men involved in alcohol-related traffic accidents.

Inverell mayor Barry Johnston has been working with AARC.

“It is important that the community is aware of the harms associated with alcohol, but at the same time are also aware of ways to prevent such harms,” he said.

“For example, if you are drinking, it is important that you take responsibility for your safety, and the safety of others.

“By planning ahead before you start drinking, such as planning to go home at a set time, drinking water between alcoholic drinks and selecting a designated driver or utilising the services designed to keep you safe after drinking, such as courtesy buses and taxis, you can significantly reduce your chances of experiencing alcohol-related harm.”

AARC researcher Stephanie Love said work was being done to combat the high level of alcohol consumption among young men.

“Given the above data and other data which show that young males typically consume large amounts of alcohol and drinks of high alcohol content, some rural towns have trialled a new harm-reduction strategy.

“In Inverell and Parkes for example, pubs were banned from selling shots either entirely, or after 11pm, since June 2007.”

Ms Love is hopeful that other NSW towns may implement these strategies.

“The results of this strategy are still under analyses, and we are consulting future involvement with participating towns in the AARC project,” she said.

The AARC project is in the final stages of collecting and analysing data which has been collected over the past five years in Inverell and other participating rural towns.