rp21 situational analysis - Pacific Health Voices

Situational analysis of drug and alcohol issues and responses in the Pacific
78
of KANGO include the Alcoholic Awareness
and Family Recovery Association with activities
focusing on education and awareness, in
addition to recovery support. 382 Other relevant
members include the Kiribati Overseas
Seafarers Union and the Kiribati Counsellors’
Association. 383 Churches in Kiribati wield much
social and cultural influence; by contrast,
NGOs are few and underdeveloped. 384
Regulation
In 2005 a framework for alcohol policy proposed
changes in taxation and liquor availability.
In addition, a government action plan
for youth based on an integrated approach
to reduce drinking harms was developed.
Proposals included prevention and counselling
services funded by a 10 per cent increase
in taxation on imported alcoholic beverages,
in addition to establishing a national youth
coordinating body.
The decision to implement a tax-based response
is significant given that all beer and
other alcohol are imported from Australia,
and two out of seven importers of alcohol to
Kiribati are government-owned: Abamakoro
and BKL. These two companies are responsible
for importing over 60 per cent of the
available beer. An assessment of quantities
of alcohol imported in 2002, compared with
the 2001 and 2000 years, shows a 24.5 per
cent increase for beer, increases of 77.6 per
cent and 73.8 per cent respectively for spirits
and pre-mixed spirits, with wine dropping
by 46 per cent. The 2002 data provide a
per capita intake of 2.92 litres per head of
population aged 20 and over. This does not
include local toddy.
Recent concerns about alcohol sales include:
minors being sent to buy alcohol for a parent;
under-age drinkers being able to buy
alcohol without showing identification; and
minors going into nightclubs, which are open
until 2am. The police have recently been visiting
venues popular with young people in
an effort to curb under-age drinking, with
a significant number of arrests and closures
of sour toddy outlets. Some schools have
petitioned for nearby outlets to be closed
during daylight hours. Recent assessments
at Bikenibu and Betio hospitals indicate that
5–25 per cent of those seeking treatment
out of hours are affected by alcohol. Data
on alcohol-related disorders, such as liver
disease, are poor because of difficulty distinguishing
this from hepatitis B, which is
endemic in Kiribati.
382 Membership of Kiribati Association of NGOs available at: (accessed April 2009).
383 Ibid.
384 NZAID (2007), Strategy for the New Zealand Development Cooperation Programme with Kiribati,
2002–2007. Wellington: NZAID. Available at: .