Grand finals don’t need bet and booze ads

For immediate release

2 October 2014

“High levels of advertising for gambling and alcohol are out of place during Grand Final week in our great sporting codes and stronger state regulation is needed to help address binge drinking and alcohol-related violence,” the President of the NSW Council of Churches, the Reverend Dr Ross Clifford, said today.

“We all enjoy our football, and it’s good to see players benefiting from the pastoral support provided by club chaplains. But as the NRL Grand Final approaches there is genuine community concern about levels of gambling and alcohol advertising through major televised sports and club sponsorship,” Dr Clifford said.

“And on gambling, what priority will the Baird Government give when Parliament resumes next week to implementing recommendations of the recently released Legislative Council inquiry report on the impact of the gambling industry?”

Dr Clifford said the NSW Government’s past commitment to addressing alcohol abuse was comprehensive and would do much to tackle alcohol-related harm in our community, especially among teens and young adults.

But he said more needed to be done in the interests of people at risk from the negative impact of gambling and alcohol consumption.

The NSW Council of Churches has previously called on the NSW Government to consider harm minimisation measures such as earlier pub closing times, lock-outs, restricting the advertising of alcohol, and raising the legal drinking age in NSW.

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Public Affairs Director Rod Benson is available for interview on 0412 421 678