Pubs that serve coffee and have coldies of zero alcohol drinks for patrons are some of the signs that Shanna Whan's messages about alcohol addiction and looking out for mates are cutting through at last.
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Having a guest speaker who's Australia's most recognised alcohol awareness advocate at a function at a hotel in country Queensland could be seen as a risk but Danny and Natalie Scotney, the publicans at one of the Warrego Highway's most recognisable watering holes, came in for high praise when the current Australian of the Year Local Hero took to the floor.
Ms Whan, the founder of Sober in the Country, was speaking at the RRR Women's annual Long Lunch at Dulacca's pink pub on International Rural Women's Day on Saturday, pointing out that pubs in small communities were often community hubs where people naturally gathered.
"You can look after people like me, that can't or don't want to have a drink, and still make a profit," she said. "We want to be part of the community but we often feel isolated, socially as well as geographically."
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Being named Australia's Local Hero for 2022 has helped amplify her message that it's 'OK to say no' to alcohol but there is still a way to go, Ms Whan told her Dulacca audience, directing her gaze to ongoing silence from government on the issue.
Despite Sober in the Country's increasing impact, the not-for-profit group remains unfunded by government sources.
"My question is, if state and federal governments can consistently fund crisis services, why are they consistently overlooking boots on the ground services preventing huge amounts of harm, especially with the next generation," Ms Whan asked.
Despite the apparent lack of government interest, a community army is being mobilised by Sober in the Country's advocacy.
"People are stepping up where our leaders won't," Ms Whan said. "You don't have to be an anti-alcohol crusader to know people need help, and we have a bush tribe in the background of our not-for-profit group that's helping people."
Emphasising that she'd never been against people enjoying an alcoholic drink, only helping mates struggling with it, she said the motto that it was OK to say no had taken the focus off the problem and put it on the solution.
It wasn't a message that was around when she turned to alcohol to give herself confidence, which then became something she couldn't do without, operating as a high-functioning alcoholic by day and "getting blotto" at night.
"We have lots of mental health days and programs but we're not good at talking about grog," Ms Whan said, adding that it had been so hard for her to find help in a rural setting.
When she did find the support to call a halt to bottles of wine every night, and began sharing her story in 2017, people were keen to contact her with their own stories, but in secret.
"People were afraid to be with me - it was then I realised rural Australia had lots of problems," she said. "We encourage alcohol at every social event but there's no support for the people who get caught up in that."
It was when Ms Whan got the phone call that she was on the list of Australians to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II that she realised how the support for her cause had grown.
"Within 24 hours I was on a plane with the Prime Minister, and in that time I'd managed to source two hats via social media, made by Gai Waterhouse's milliner," she said. "People couldn't help me quickly enough."
It was then that she finally had five minutes to stop and think about the enormity of her year.
"Sober in the Country today is an evolution of a decade of hard work," she said.
"How did it happen? It's like an addiction, just one day at a time.
"Talking about this is the hardest thing I've ever done, it utterly overwhelms me.
"But I keep on doing it, someone's got to."
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Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
