Protecting Aotearoa's mental wellbeing through effective alcohol policy

Directly and indirectly, alcohol has an extensive influence on poor mental wellbeing, mental distress, and suicide. Much of this harm is preventable through evidence-based public health policy, and there are already many Aotearoa New Zealand-based recommendations to guide progress - including those provided in He Ara Oranga, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and alcohol law, the 2014 Ministerial Forum on Alcohol Advertising and Sponsorship, the 2014 Ministry of Justice report on the effectiveness of alcohol pricing, and the 2010 Law Commission report on the review of regulatory framework for the sale and supply of liquor. Our principal recommendation is for the government to progress the well-overdue review of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 to fully embed these policy measures.