Captain Mark Williamson from the Salvation Army spoke to The Argus about the effects of alcohol in the Macleay following the Salvos’ launch of a campaign to highlight alcohol abuse.

He said problems caused by alcohol were often hidden, but he said in Kempsey they were on display.

“You can walk down the street in Kempsey and find people under the influence, even in the middle of the day,” Captain Williamson said.

He said the fact the problem was visible in the street meant it was a lot worse than in other places.

“Often it’s a problem that affects those at the lower end of the socio-economic (scale) more, but not exclusively,” he said.

Underage drinking was a big problem locally, Captain Williamson said, noting that attitudes formed by young people often stayed with them into later life.

“For children to be consuming alcohol has a devastating effect on bodies that are still growing and developing,” he said.

“I could take you around to certain places (in Kempsey), at certain times of the day, and show you intoxicated children.”

He said the children were as young as 12, perhaps younger.

“It’s illegal, and it’s illegal to supply a child with alcohol, even if you’re in your own home,” he said.

“And there’s a good reason for that: While they’re still growing they’re not able to handle it.

“It has a devastating effect on their bodies.”

His comments follow new Roy Morgan research, released by The Salvation Army, which said 4.3 million people say alcohol has had a negative impact on them or their family.

Two million people say they or their family have experienced children being embarrassed or scared as a result of alcohol consumption in the family, and more than 8.4 million people now want alcohol advertising reduced.

Captain Williamson said many people would be surprised by the statistics because alcohol was socially acceptable.

While the new research showed about 12 per cent of children were scared by an adult consuming alcohol, Captain Williamson said he expected the figure would be much higher in Kempsey.

The Salvation Army launched an alcohol awareness campaign on Monday, urging people to consider whether their alcohol habits were damaging others.

The Salvation Army is also calling for a reduction in the amount of alcohol advertising, and said the campaign was not an anti-alcohol initiative but a crusade against alcohol abuse.