Commentary
With alcohol bans being reinstated in the Northern Territory, we can expect more discussion about whether they are effective or not.
Former West Australian of the Year and Nyamal woman Tracy Westerman has previously stated that authorities are not addressing the root cause of alcohol abuse when speaking of her home state.
I agree with her and believe this is true for many other parts of Australia, for both non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal populations. The root causes are complex, but they must be dealt with.
To effectively help those impacted by alcohol abuse, we should adopt the sage advice of Thoreau: “There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root.”…