By Cameron Weston
HOBSONS Bay residents affected by alcohol are more likely to be involved in domestic violence than other Victorians.
The State Government’s Victorian Alcohol Statistics Handbook Volume 7, released last week, found the “rate of alcohol-related family incidents in Hobsons Bay was significantly higher than the Victorian rate”.
Hobsons Bay was in line with the state average on many other measures, including alcohol-related assaults, serious road injury, hospital admissions and alcohol-related deaths.
However, it was the only municipality in the western metropolitan health region, encompassing most of the western suburbs, to record alcohol-related domestic violence figures higher than the state average.
Family incidents were defined in the study as “a record of domestic violence”.
Bronwyn Pike, the Minister for Health, said that almost 3000 people died every year from alcohol-related illnesses and injuries.
“Alcohol abuse is also hitting our hospitals hard, with almost 9000 emergency presentations in 2004/05 – a frightening 35 per cent increase over five years,” Ms Pike said.
“Alcohol is second only to tobacco as a drug that causes high levels of disease and death.”
