Technical Paper 3:
Preventing Alcohol-related harm in Australia: a window of opportunity
1.2 - The drinking culture in Australia
Alcohol plays many roles in contemporary Australian society – as a relaxant, as an accompaniment to socialising and celebration, as a source of employment and exports, and as a generator of tax revenue. It is intrinsically part of Australian culture. The majority of Australians who regularly drink, do so in moderation. Around three-quarters (72.6%) of Australians drink below levels for long-term risk of harm.[1] However, short-term consumption of alcohol at harmful levels, while only occasional, is also a prominent feature of the drinking culture in Australia. One in five Australians (20.4%) drink at short-term risky/high-risk levels at least once a month.[2] Put another way, this equates to more than 42 million occasions of binge drinking in Australia each year.
While overall levels of alcohol consumption and drinking patterns have not changed markedly over the past decade, there is an increasing community awareness of the problem of harmful consumption of alcohol. These patterns continue to produce substantial costs to the health of Australians. Alcohol consumption accounts for 3.2% of the total burden of disease and injury in Australia: 4.9% in males and 1.6% in females.[3] Beyond its impacts on the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities, the harmful consumption of alcohol also impacts significantly across a range of other areas, including workforce productivity, healthcare services such as hospitals and ambulances, road accidents, law enforcement, property damage and insurance administration.
The annual cost to the Australian community from alcohol-related harm is estimated to be more than $15 billion. In Australia, concern in the general community about alcohol’s adverse health and social effects is growing. A recent survey of Australians revealed that 84% of people are concerned about the impact of alcohol on the community.[5]