ALCOHOL / SMOKING

Purpose

This policy outlines our club’s position on providing an alcohol-free and smoke-free environment to ensure the club continues to provide a safe and healthy place for families to play and enjoy basketball. This policy assists our club to:

  • Meet its duty of care in relation to the health and safety of our members, volunteers and visitors who attend any club training, games, special events, functions and other activities.

  • Uphold the reputation of the club, our sponsors and partners.

This policy applies to all our members, volunteers and visitors.

Alcohol

Active Basketball Association is alcohol-free. We do not permit the consumption of alcohol at club related events and activities including meetings, after training or games, end of season/presentation functions, sponsors’ functions, trivia nights and other fundraising events.

We understand alcohol misuse can lead to unsafe or unacceptable behaviour, drink-driving and other alcohol-related harm.

Our club will ensure:

  • Alcohol is not advertised, promoted, served or consumed at any club games, events, functions or activities.

  • Alcohol is not brought into the club premises and grounds during club games, events, functions or activities i.e. no BYO.

  • Committee members, members, players and officials will not compete, train, coach or officiate if affected by alcohol or other drugs.

  • Any person who comes to club-related activities and seems intoxicated will be asked to leave and provided with options for safe transport from our club, where available. Police may be contacted to remove the person, if required. (For the purposes of this policy, a person is defined as being in a state of intoxication if his or her speech, balance, co-ordination or behaviour is noticeably affected and there are reasonable grounds for believing that this is the result of the consumption of alcohol.)

  • Our club will avoid providing awards (e.g. at end of season presentations) and fundraising prizes that have an emphasis on alcohol.

  • Alcohol sponsorship, brands and products are not sought, promoted or advertised by the club and are not placed on club apparel.

  • Alcohol is not provided as an award to a player or official for any reason.

Smoking

Active Basketball Association is smoke-free. We understand the harmful effects of smoking on health, fitness and performance in sport and that passive smoking (secondhand tobacco smoke) is also hazardous to health.

Non-smokers should be protected from the involuntary inhalation of tobacco smoke at our games, events, functions and other activities.

Our club will ensure:

  • All events will be promoted as smoke-free, regardless of where they are held.

  • Members, volunteers and visitors will know we are a smoke-free club and will abide by our club policy.

Safe transport

Active Basketball Association recognises mixing drugs (including prescription medication) with other drugs or alcohol can seriously affect the ability to drive safely. Driving when over the legal blood alcohol limit is illegal and hazardous to individuals and the wider community.

If any committee members, members, players or officials are suspected of being under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, our club will take steps to help them get home safely. For example, offer them a ride home or call a taxi or sober person to collect them.

Promoting this policy

Our club will:

  • Educate members, volunteers and guests about our policy and the benefits of having such a policy.

  • Ensure this policy is easily accessible and will promote it via our website.

  • Actively participate in the Alcohol and Drug Foundation’s Good Sports program with an ongoing priority to maintain the highest Good Sports accreditation.

Non-compliance

Club committee members will uphold this policy and any non-compliance will be handled according to the following process:

  • Club members and/or guests should notify the committee of any breaches of this policy (for example, individuals turning up intoxicated or bringing their own alcohol to a club activity).

  • Explanation of the policy to the person/people concerned, including identification of the section of policy not being complied with.

  • Continued non-compliance with the policy should be handled by at least two committee members who will use their discretion as to the action taken, which may include asking the person/ people to leave the facilities or function.

Policy review

This policy will be reviewed annually to ensure it remains relevant to club operations and reflects both community expectations and legal requirements.

Last reviewed: 09/02/2022

Signatures

Signed: Peter Whan - Club President

Date: 11/10/2020

Signed: Jacob Massey-Chase - Club Secretary

Date: 24/01/2024

Enquiries Regarding our Policy

Contact: Ricky Bolmers

Phone: 0434 483 931

Email: basketball@gateway.asn.au

This policy is created in partnership with ‘Good Sports’. Visit: www.goodsports.com.au for information regarding the ‘Good Sports’ program.