For more than 30 years the Commonwealth, state and territory governments have collaborated to provide comprehensive, evidence-informed approaches for preventing and reducing harm from alcohol. This Strategy continues the long-standing national commitment to preventing and tackling risky alcohol use and related harm in the community through a combination of law enforcement, prevention, early intervention and health care strategies.

The Strategy builds on the existing efforts and responses to prevent and minimise alcohol-related harms, and provides a guide for focusing and coordinating population-wide and locally appropriate responses to alcohol-related harm by governments, communities and service providers. The Strategy also reiterates Australia’s commitment to the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Action Plan for the Prevention of and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases 2013–2020, which includes a voluntary target of a reduction in harmful alcohol consumption of 10% by 2025.

The aim of the Strategy is to prevent and minimise alcohol-related harms among individuals, families and communities by:

• identifying agreed national priority areas of focus and policy options;
• promoting and facilitating collaboration, partnership and commitment from the government and non-government sectors; and,
• targeting a 10% reduction in harmful alcohol consumption.