CANBERRA - The federal budget has provided no new funding to combat alcohol abuse despite it causing about 4,000 deaths a year, health groups say.
The Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation said it was disappointed the government had not given money to any initiatives tackling alcohol abuse.
Foundation CEO Daryl Smeaton said money had been found to combat illicit drugs, despite alcohol causing ten times as many deaths each year.
The budget included a $150 million package to tackle ice and other methamphetamines.
"It continues to reinforce the fact the government has got misplaced priorities as far as we are concerned," Mr Smeaton said.
"They've missed an opportunity to address our biggest drug problem."
The foundation, which is Australia's largest independent body dedicated to fighting alcohol abuse, provides money to projects that help treat, prevent and research alcoholism.
But Mr Smeaton today said it would not be able to allocate money to any new programs, as its start-up federal funding grant of $115 million from 2001 was almost gone.
Mr Smeaton said he would not be surprised if further health announcements were made closer to the election.
Alcohol has been estimated to cost Australia $7.6 billion a year, but the foundation believes the real cost has risen in recent years to about $10 billion.
The Alcohol and other Drugs Council of Australia today agreed action was still needed on the broader problem of alcohol abuse.
"We constantly see problems of increased youth binge drinking," CEO Donna Bull said in a statement.
"You only have to visit a hospital triage department on a Friday or Saturday evening and see the numbers of patients needing attention due to the effects of alcohol, whether this is the result of domestic violence, assault, road trauma or excessive alcohol consumption together with poly drug use.
"It is a burgeoning social catastrophe which needs far greater attention, awareness, compassion about this community problem."
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