CANBERRA—Calls to limit the number of bars and shorten pub opening hours in a bid to tackle binge drinking are set to be examined by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's 2020 ideas summit.
The head of World Vision Australia, Tim Costello, has urged governments to tighten rules governing pubs and clubs, especially the number of outlets and closing times.
The push follows a disturbing report by the Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) this week which found about one tenth of teenagers abused alcohol in a typical week.
Among 16 and 17-year-olds the figure was one in five, while more than 450,000 children live in homes in which adults binge drink.
"There are far too many outlets," Mr Costello said.
"Closing times need to be adjusted. The way we serve alcohol in a responsible way, the codes for serving alcohol, need to be tightened."
Mr Costello, a member of the summit's steering committee, wants the problem of alcohol abuse and teenage binge drinking to be high on the talkfest's agenda.
Mr Rudd, who has described the binge-drinking problem as "an epidemic" supports the summit examining the problem, but warns that government alone can't solve the issue.
"As a community and a government, we need to act...but with most social problems, it's not just government alone. Community and families... need to work in partnership with us as well," he said.
Australia had a real problem when it came to binge drinking and Mr Rudd said he had witnessed it himself.
"As I roll around the country, mums and dads are raising this with me in the supermarkets of the nation on a regular basis," he said.
"What I see happening around the streets myself is a problem."
The push for an overhaul of liquor licensing laws has received support from Queensland and Victoria.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh today said legislation that would cut pub opening hours would be introduced into the state's parliament in the coming months.
"Our government is determined to control alcohol appropriately," Ms Bligh said.
"We're very worried about some of the incidents that we're seeing that are alcohol-fuelled and alcohol-related."
Victorian Premier John Brumby said his state was also considering cutting the operating hours of bars and restricting the 24-hour access to alcohol.
"We're prepared to look at a whole range of measures including that one, that's on the table," Mr Brumby said.
"We've got to balance, on the one hand, young people's rights to enjoyment, to freedom, to excitement, with the fact that we have a growing problem with clear abuse of alcohol and a growing problem with assaults in the city."
Earlier today Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard signalled the Federal Government response may include more public education campaigns.
She said they were more likely to be effective than restricting alcohol supply.
"I think that there's always the question of regulation, but ... it seems to me that what drives the profound changes is changing community attitudes," she told ABC radio in Melbourne.
"If you try and restrict supply you can often say to yourself you're doing a good thing, but if there's demand then normally people find a way to get that demand met."
A Senate committee is already considering a plan by Family First Senator Steve Fielding to place health warning labels on alcoholic drinks and impose stricter controls on alcohol advertising.
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