ACRS joined with more than 80 health and community groups and leaders across Australia and sent a letter to Treasurer The Hon Josh Frydenberg MP strongly opposing plans to cut alcohol taxes through reductions in the beer excise in the next Budget. Alcohol taxation is a key part of Australia’s alcohol harm reduction strategy. It works because it reduces the amount of alcohol people drink. Less alcohol means less associated health and social harms, including road crashes.

Obviously, the alcohol companies do not like this, because to them more alcohol equals more profits. The harm this then causes to our families and community is not their concern.

But it should be a concern to our Government, who we hope will put the health of our community first and resist this cynical attempt to undermine a key plank of Australia’s alcohol harm reduction strategy during a global pandemic.

Click here to read the open letter: https://fare.org.au/taxopenletter/