Technical Paper 3:
Preventing Alcohol-related harm in Australia: a window of opportunity
1.3 - Determinants of drinking behaviour
The current national alcohol strategy[6] observes that Australia’s drinking cultures are driven by a mix of powerful, intangible social forces, such as habits, customs, images and norms, and other interlocking and equally powerful tangible forces relating to the social, economic and physical availability of alcohol, including promotion and marketing, age restrictions, price, outlets, hours of access and service practices[6] (see Fig. 1). Certainly, there is no single factor that determines why people drink at harmful levels. Health-damaging behaviours related to poor diet, inadequate exercise, cigarette smoking, excessive drinking and illicit drug use appear to be embedded in a complex network of social determinants and risk and protective factors, and behaviours are also mediated by cultural influences.[7]
Figure 1: Alcohol-related harm: determinants, behaviours and outcomes
Source: National Alcohol Strategy 2006–2009[6]