12 of Australia’s leading sporting organisations have agreed to end all existing and future relationships with alcohol companies as part of a new government led strategy entitled ‘Be the influence.’
The sports will instead share a AUS$25 million (€20 million) pot drawn from new tax revenues on ‘alcopops’.
The sports are significant, including soccer, cycling, swimming, basketball, hockey and  netball.  The initiative was announced at the weekend by Sports Minister Kate Lundy who admitted the larger bodies were not able to be accommodated at this stage because of funding issues but urged them to continue their programmes to promote responsibility with regard to alcohol.
Australian Football, Cricket Australia and the Australian Rugby League all have major relationships with alcohol companies, including Fosters and Diageo, but and none have come forward in support of the strategy yet.
Football Federation of Australia CEO Ben Buckley, speaking to the Australian newspaper said his organisation was proud to take a leadership role in reducing alcohol abuse.
“We have an absolute responsibility to make our community clubs and our professional clubs role models in society,” he said.
But NRL spokesman John Brady said he hoped the government would invest more funding in harm prevention groups rather than target sports sponsorship programs.
“Trying to ban alcohol sponsorship isn’t going to achieve anything,” he said.
The debate on alcohol and sport is centre stage in Ireland at present following the publication of a proposal to end sports sponsorship by 2016.  The major concern within sport is that reduced funding at a time when corporate spending is restricted will damage the fabric of sport and the health and society benefits that flow from sporting involvement.
It is also questioned whether the benefits of less alcohol consumption which may ensure would be enough to counter the problems that would arise through less sporting activity.
The Australian approach seeks to start a process but to do so through ring fencing tax revenue for a group of sports initially.  It wil be interesting to see whether this ‘twin track’ approach of financed restriction and encouraged responsibility at the larger end has a positive outcome.
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