White Ribbon
Signal
Nov 2009 to Jan 2010
Volume 114 No 4
National WCTU Mission Statement -
“To promote a drug-free lifestyle and Christian values in the home and community”
Just a sip won’t hurt
.....will it?
The Salvation Army commissioned Roy Morgan Research to conduct its annual research into alcohol
awareness amongst the Australian Community particularly as regards the National Health and Medical
Research Council Guidelines released early in 2009 and the strong advice given for young people under 18
years to abstain from drinking and delving into the community’s practice and attitude to underage drinking.
About 40% of all Australians aged 14 and over reported that the greatest number of standard drinks
they consumed in one session in the last month was between one and three. There are indications
that a downward trend is developing in the number of drinks consumed in one session by men.
Five years ago 40% of Aust. Men consumed six or more drinks in one session and in the recent
survey this has decreased to 31%.
To complement this year’s research into the awareness of these new guidelines on the under 18’s,
the survey asked questions relating to Australians’ first sip or drink of alcohol.
Two thirds of Australians aged 14 and over had their first sip when they were under 18 years. One
third had their first sip when they were under 15 years. The mean age for Australians to have their
first sip or drink is 15.4 years with the average age for females being slightly higher at 15.8 years.
Now some interesting facts • Approximately half of these young people were with their family when they had their first sip
or drink of alcohol (50%) - at home (40%)
• Many were with friends (39%)- (15% at a friend’s house)
• Nearly half of all Australians 14 and over asked for their first sip or drink of alcohol
• 17% reported that parents suggested the drink
• 15% said that friends suggested the drink
Now despite the 17% of adults being aware of the Guidelines, a similar percentage think it is safe
for someone under 15 to be given occasional sips of alcohol. Whereas Guideline 3 is about alcohol
consumption for children and young people under 18 years of age and it specifies that:
• Parents and carers should be advised that children under 15 years of age are at the greatest
risk of harm from drinking and that for this age group, not drinking alcohol is especially
important.
• For young people aged 15—17 years, the safest option is to delay the initiation of drinking for
as long as possible.
This Guideline was based on evidence that the risks of accidents, injuries, violence and self-harm
among drinkers under 18 years. Risky or anti social behaviour is more likely amongst drinkers
under 15 years but just over one-third of Australians think that there is an included
recommendation that some level of drinking is OK and that there is a low risk level and in a safe
environment, supervised by adults.
Nearly one half of all Australians 14 to 17 years think that the guidelines recommend that 15 to 17
year olds should be taught responsible drinking habits and should not consume more than two
standard drinks per week. This is despite their knowledge of the media campaigns which 19.1%
claimed to be ineffective.
The results of this study suggest that there is much work to be done to publicize the NHMRC
Guidelines and the effects that drinking alcohol can have on children particularly when we
consider that 876,000 Australians think it is safe to have occasional sips of alcohol before 10
years of age.
Risky business becoming a
target-not from William Tell
but from harm caused by
alcohol. The safest option for
under 18’s (and for anyone) is
not to have that first sip of
alcohol.
White Ribbon Signal
The last word from
Assoc Prof Stuart Piggin Completing an abridged version of his address “for such a
time as this” at WCTU National Convention.
If we can see that our society needs citizens who make a
difference and its culture of self-indulgence needs to be
challenged and changed, how do we do that? And, in
particular, what must we do to make Australia safer for
true democracy?
It will not be easy—our society does not take kindly to
those who attack its most entrenched cultures. It does
heap woe on the man or woman who, by crying ‘enough’
offends against the drinking culture. The prospect of
having this woe heaped upon them is why so many
Christians retreat into the safety of the church. But we
cannot stay there.Through the Australian Christian
Heritage Foundation, of which I am Chairman, I have
found that our politicians are crying out for church people
to get involved, to show their true colours, so that our
society will not be left to go to the dogs and they are cross
with us for not standing up for the right and doing it
publicly with an unmistakable message. To make our
society safe for democracy we should exercise our right of
speaking into that puclic sphere where our democracy is
played out.
Our democracy is worth defending. We are now actually
one of the oldest democracies, and we are perhaps the
most stable democracy in the world. Let us be in no doubt
that that is because we are a Christian democracy. Our
democracy has features which have only developed in
Christian nations: the enfranchisement of all adult
citizens; the civic responsibility of citizenship; equality of
opportunity; justice for all; the rule of law; the security of
order and wealth; the separation of powers; unity of
diversity, and the panoply of freedoms—freedom of
speech, freedom of association, freedom of worship,
freedom of conscience and the right of private judgement.
Our democracy becomes safer when Christians participate
in it, learning how to speak into its institutions. But how
do we do that? I have a few suggestions.
The Australian Christian Heritage Foundation wants to
hold a second national forum in Parliament House
Canberra, in March 2010 on the theme “Making the
Invisible Visible” and speakers will address the role of
Christian faith in the development of our democracy and
in public life, seeking to make explicit what most people
do not see, so that they will realise that Christianity has
given us social and spiritual capital which we do well to
draw on in our efforts at nation-building…. I have been
told that 60% of our federal parliamentarians have church
connections. We should support them in their attempts to
promote Christian values.
Secondly the Heritage
Foundation is seeking to influence the national history
curriculum so that our school children will be inspired
by stories of those motivated by Jesus to live for others.
Thirdly the Heritage Foundation is seeking to establish in
Canberra a Christian Heritage Centre. That Centre would
be the ideal place to showcase the WCTU story because
you have saints galore in your heritage. If they are
invisible to the Australian public now, they should be
Don’t attempt to change Australia on your own. Do it with
your friends. That is another thing that the WCTU got
right. ...women ran it, conspiring together for time and
eternity, on a host of issues. The WCTU, in its history has
put together many a virtuoso team such as Wilberforce did
when he abolished the slave trade. Just imagine (many
examples) Elizabeth Nicholls, a Wesleyan Methodist and
an energetic organiser who identified with the WCTU
following “a remarkable spiritual experience”, Mary Less,
a primitive Methodist, who urged South Australia to be in
the vanguard of Christian nations by extending the vote to
women thus establishing a just society and Catherine Helen
Spence, who though not an evangelical, campaigned for the
good. They, like Wilberforce, knew how to co-operate
across doctrinal differences when the cause was right.
…...Yours is a glorious Christian heritage. I hope you
use it to inspire your social and political conspiracies.
In principle, a team will have more chance of being a
virtuoso team if it combines the specialised knowledge of
the expert, with the resources of the business leader, with
the networking capacity of those with political skills.
Expertise, resources, connections, expressed through the
grace of conspiratorial friendship which is a gift of Christ.
3.
Campaign for the synergy of government,
corporates and churches.
Don’t accept the doctrinaire notion that the church must be
kept so free from the state that no religious insights should
be permitted in the public square. In welfare in indigenous
affairs, in education, in health in the social services,
including aged care, the best solutions are found when
governments, business corporations and churches, together
with their clients, talk to each other and trust each other.
4. Seek the mind of the Lord and speak it
The most important factor in motivating you to seek to
make a difference is the conviction that God wants you to
do it. You only acquire that conviction when you are aware
of the presence of God in your life and are determined to
maintain the sense of that presence. Your mission is a
tough one; you must know that God is with you so that you
will have the grace to persevere in it. That grace is the
confidence that God has anointed you for such a time as
this, giving you the words to speak his truth into needy
situations.
Coram Deo meaning in the presence of God. We all know
best when we speak Coram Deo.
If we are to speak into the heart of our needy nation we
need to speak the words which come from the heart of God,
and we will only find those words and the courage, that
classical virtue, to speak them, if we are Coram Deo, in the
presence of God.
For such a time as this, we need His words, not our own,
and therefore confer with your sisters in this movement so
that your words will be arrived at collegiatively, and confer
with Jesus, so that your words will be arrived at
contemplatively.
“Seek the mind of the Lord and speak it”
SEXTING
Did you know that a quirky
competition was held recently
for the title of the ‘one millionth
word’ in the English language?
Among the 10 finalists was the word “sexting”.
Those seven letter encapsulate an emerging
cyber danger that governments, police,
counsellors and parents have little hope of
controlling.
Sexting is a contraction of sex and texting—the
sending of suggestive or sexual images through
mobile phones that can then be posted on the
internet or forwarded to other people. (If you
don’t know the word, you’re not alone). Some
teenagers are unfamiliar with the term BUT they
know the practice.
Captain David Collinson, a Salvation Army
Office responsible for youth activities, cites an
example when a youth worker came to him for
advice about a teenage girl who was posting
suggestive photographs of herself on a social
network site. ‘Guys were going to her page to
check out the photos and she was getting a
reputation among her peers, David says.
“Girls often want boys to look at them to be
popular. But this type of looking has
ramifications. Once a photo is out there in cyber
space, it’s open slather.”
In May this year, Victorian schoolgirls who
admitted to taking photos of themselves and their
friends on their mobile phones were cautioned by
police in relation to child pornography.
A group of 13 year old Tasmanian schoolgirls
sent provocative photos they had taken on their
mobiles and in NSW a group of girls as young as
eight forwarded ‘topless photos’ of themselves.
The popular tween magazine Girlfriend
conducted a poll and found that more than 230 of
the 588 girls who responded had been asked to
send a ‘naked or semi-naked’ image of
themselves over the internet.
NSW Community Service Minister and antisexting campaigner, Linda Burney said “I
encourage people to think about it like this:it’s an
old phenomenon but a new medium….there’s
still intimidation and bullying, it just happens to
be via modern technology. The perverseness is
that it’s of a sexual nature. Sexting is highly
pervasive. Once sent out the photos are then
impossible to retrieve and delete. They are there
forever and can damage future career prospects.
Sexting can damage your future.”
• Warn children about sexting
• Remind them to think before they act
• Sending or possessing child pornography is
illegal
Check photo galleries and your kids
facebook sites
• Give children clear rules on what they can
do and can’t do with their mobile phones
Parents must get on board with new technology
and be familiar with the operation of mobile
phones, the internet, Facebook, Twitter etc.
Do you know that •
at ‘Bathurst 1000’ police inspected all
vehicles for drugs and excessive alcohol
on entry - the daily allowance 4lt wine
or equivalent per person per day.
•
in the USA it is possible to buy Nicotine
Mints - in little candy tins targeting
children with 60% - 300% nicotine of
cigarettes
•
Halloween was reversed in California instead of trick or treat children were
handed info leaflets and Fair Trade
Chocolates
•
if Australia’s alcohol consumption were
reduced to 512 standard drinks per
person per year it would deliver $1.2
billion in savings and 98,000 fewer new
cases of alcohol related disease
•
in Gujarat State, India there were 107
deaths from mass poisoning blamed on
home brewed alcohol
•
N.S.W. have new measures to force
venues with violence to serve free food
and have booze-free periods
•
in Germany a poor badger who gorged
itself on fermented cherries, staggered
into middle of the road and died
obstructing traffic.
•
a report from Queensland gives info on
women driving their kids to and from
school—drunk. A Sunshine coast women
had a reading of .203 with a 9 year old in
the car. One in Cairns was caught driving
with a reading of .307
•
a supposedly relaxing tipple of 4
standard drinks at Dinner one evening
can result in being above the limit next
morning.
•
women generally retain more alcohol and
for a longer period than men because they
retain less water and often have a thicker
layer of body fat
•
you can forget about ‘Red Bull’. Canada has
now produced ‘Slow Cow’ containing
chamomile, valerian and L-theanine (found
in tea plants). All said to have a calming
effect.
•
Queensland parents are being warned that
they could be fined or sued for condoning
under-age drinking at Schoolies Week
parties. The law requires a “duty of care”
•
Based on an article in WarCry—used with permission.
White Ribbon Signal
Middle-aged Drinking
Middle-aged drinkers are
consuming alcohol at unprecedented levels with
many unaware that their
“social” drinking could be
killing them. Many justify
their drinking because of
increased stress and they
double their risk of diseases
such as liver cirrhosis and
heart failure. Many drinkers
develop what has been
termed “Monday morning
heart” because there is an
increase in people over 40
having heart attacks on
Monday after a big weekend.
Evidence supports the belief
that the new ‘binge drinkers’ are the Mums and Dads
drinking at home!
White Ribbon Signal
Our National Convention voted to request members
to purchase Fair Trade Chocolate. Now the good
news is that Cadbury Australia announced that it will
certify its top selling Dairy Milk ® as Fairtrade.
This certification guarantees cocoa farmers a fair price
for their products, prohibits child labour and supports
community development.
Fairtrade Association Australia announced that this was
a ‘landmark decision that would triple the amount of
Fairtrade product sold throughout Australia’.
With a clear conscience you will be able to
enjoy that glass and a half of Full Cream
Dairy Milk!
PATRITTI
NON ALCOHOLIC NATURAL
GRAPE & FRUIT JUICES
Radisson SAS Atlantic Hotel, Stavenger, Norway
This Hotel is the venue for the 38th World
Convention of the World Woman’s Christian
Temperance Union to be held
12—17 May 2010
Convention Costs Single Room (Norwegian krone) - NOK 9514.00
Double Room NOK 7852 per person
This price includes all meals and registration fee.
(Note in Australian Dollars—Single Room $1888.95
and double room $1558.95 per person. This will vary from time
to time as the exchange rate changes. Note the Aussie Dollar
exchange rate is strong at this time)
Registration Forms may be obtained from your State
Office .
Congratulations to Varieties available:
Dark Grape Juice
Golden Muscatel Grape Juice
Apple Juice
Canada Muscat Grape Juice
Shiraz Grape Juice
For information concerning availability and
distribution outlets throughout Australia,
Contact the manufacturers:
G Patritti & Co Pty Ltd
13-23 Clacton Rd, Dover Gardens SA 5048
Phone 08 8296 8261 FAX 08 8296 5088
Email -wines@patritti.com.au
Jade Lewis of Perth for being nominated as Telstra Young
Business Woman of the Year. Jade travels around Australia with
a Drug Education Program developed through her own past
experiences
Bernice Cardwell of Sydney for her inclusion in ‘Who’s Who’
through her work with WCTU, NCW, and the Baptist Church’s
Education College as well as much other community
involvements. Bernice was former WCTU State President and
now is involved in the WCTU Foundation.
And Congratulations to the Victorian Women’s Trust for
this new innovative program Be the Hero! is a web-based violence prevention program
for young men. This program, launched at Northcote
Secondary College, Vic. encourages all young men to
build respectful relationships with women and to lead
good, decent, honourable lives. It demonstrates that
anyone can be the hero by simply respecting women and
choosing to live a life free of violence.
See <www.bethehero.com.au>
Queensland. -Trinity
As usual Trinity keep up creative programs with Devotions organized by Mrs Joy McDonald. Various topical pieces
are the focus e.g. bringing photograph of mothers for a Mothers’ Day meeting, bells for the FAS Day program. They
also listen to members talking of newspaper articles on alcohol, teen sex, drugs etc, stories of personal experiences
such as demos of the effect of water and alcohol on bread, sugar etc. or of meeting people and being prepared to
share information. One other aspect is that Trinity must be noted for its food. For example how is this sweet
finishing a delicious lunch? No bake Strawberry Pavlova with very large fresh Queensland strawberries. Food is
looking good at Trinity!
They have also had an “EKKA” Day and gave out Show Bags and from time to time Chef Wayne McDonald cooks a
Bar-B-Q Lunch.
Bundaberg - again celebrated Thanksgiving Day and Mrs Marlene Behan, State Secretary, travelled North for the
Day to be Guest Speaker.
Drug Ed- now two teams with Anne and Roger Bergen and Jan Shattock
and Rhona Theodore. All have been travelling extensively to both
Primary and Secondary Schools.
Leaflets are constantly being upgraded to bring them in line with modern
printing methods and expectations of the schools.
A very successful and busy year for which all team members should be
congratulated.
Bayside Union - held a Luncheon at which the National President, Ellen
Chandler, was the speaker. Her topic was “Through the glass
darkly”…… and covered many aspects of current society - the abundance
of licensed venues particularly in the CBD where “vertical bars” holding
up to 2,000 create problems. The long held myth among some that giving
children a sip of alcohol is helpful education. This has now been proven
wrong and families are warned to support their young people in abstaining
from any alcohol. The need to reduce the .05 limit for drivers to zero and
create awareness in our community to be alert to and for change in our
communities.
Surrey Hills Union are known for their tasteful Afternoon Teas and this
October was no exception and the venue (with new kitchen) was enjoyed
by all. Speaker was Lieut. Pauline Middleton from the Salvation Army
speaking on ‘Homelessness’ and Ellen Chandler gave a round-up of
WCTU news.
Phone/Fax 03 9879 0357 Email - <bande@uniting.com.au>
Put 1 lt pure fruit Juice in large jug.
Add 1/2 cup of Buderim Ginger
Cordial or Buderim Ginger & Lime
Cordial. Top up with approximately 1
cup iced water. (taste test).
Pour into glasses and enjoy.
Mango Nectar or Pear Juice
are delicious
Victoria
3134
Summer Daze
South Australia - School Holiday Birthday Party for Drug Free Kids
organized by the State Supt Mrs Wendy Sudron.
The President Mrs Dawn Giddings has been busy at a round of non-al
wine tastings which have created much interest as the happy group below
at the Flinders Park Church of Christ.
Official Publication of the Woman’s Christian Temperance
Union of Australia.
Editor::Mrs E. Chandler, 66 Jull Pde, Ringwood Vic
Western Australia 117th State
Convention commenced with
joining in the worship at Ross
Memorial Uniting Church with
the President Mrs Margaret
Martin giving the message.
Wednesday was Guest Afternoon
with representatives from other
organizations included. Children
recited the Temperance Poem and
Bible Memory verses and
received Certificates and prizes.
The main speaker was Jade Lewis
who has developed from a drug
addicted teenager to a Christian
worker supporting young people
through problems.
Business Days were interrupted
by mid-day speakers—DrugArm
WA have a new CEO who is a
qualified as a lawyer and a very
articulate speaker and the
President of the Family Council
of WA.
WA are still desperately seeking
A Secretary to take the place of
Mrs Nola Adams and from
November will also need a
Treasurer.
STATE HEADQUARTERS
New South Wales
Contact National Office (03) 9654 6491
Queensland
Phone Secretary (07) 3201 5402
South Australia
255 Sir Donald Bradman Drive
COWANDILLA SA 5033
Phone/Fax 08 8354 4442
Tasmania
Contact Victoria Office
03 9654 6491
Victoria
1st Floor, 15 Collins Street
Melbourne 3000
Phone (03) 9654 6491
Fax (03) 9650 2890
<drugfree@net2000.com.au>
Western Australia
17/4 Ventnor Avenue,
West Perth 6005
Phone (08) 9322 1648
RECOGNIZING WORTH - One cold morning in Brisbane a guy in a
flannel shirt and jeans pulled out a violin placing the case on the
footpath ready for rewards. He played for 35 minutes. Beautiful music
hung in the air above the dull roar of the traffic as people rushed to
work. More than 1800 people passed that busker. 11 people paused to
listen, some really appreciating the music and some dropped coins in
his case. The total collected that morning was $15.85 (which was
donated to charity). This violinist was no ordinary busker but the first
violin and concertmaster for the 88 strong Queensland Orchestra. Each
year he plays 100 live performances to more than 100,000 classical
music fans and tickets cost between $50 and $70 each but on this
morning few had time to pause and listen.
His name is Warwick Adeney and yes, he is possibly the best violinist
in Australia but few recognised his music. Was it because of the
environment, lack of time, being a busker or doesn’t a free concert have
the same credibility?
Expect the unexpected and you may be surprised!
Thanks to Lucille Brighton of Deception Bay, Queensland for sending in
this story of a social experiment set up by and reported in the Brisbane
Sunday Mail 6 September 2009
National Secretary
Mrs Anne Bergen
11 The Corso Parkdale Vic 3194
<annebergen@bigpond.com>
Phone/Fax (03) 9580 1675
National President and Editor
Mrs Ellen Chandler
66 Jull Pde Ringwood 3134
<bande@uniting.com.au>
Phone/Fax 03 9879 0357
New Members?
Yes, certainly - all welcome
Please complete this slip and forward to your
State Office with membership annual fee of $10
(includes ‘White Ribbon Signal)
PROMISE— “I hereby solemnly promise, with
God’s help to abstain from all intoxicating liquors
and all other harmful drugs and to help others to
do the same”
A very successful Conference was held in Brisbane a
couple of months ago “Thinking Drinking 3”
If you would like to learn more about this go to
<www.adf.org.au> go to “events” and click open
SIGNED ………………………………………
Thinking Drinking 3 for reports etc.
My name is ……………………………………
of ………………………………………………
……………………………….Postcode………
Email …………………………………………….