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Alcohol

Introduction

Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with a variety of adverse health consequences including cirrhosis of the liver, mental illness, several types of cancer, pancreatitis, and fetal growth retardation. Adverse social effects include aggressive behaviour, family disruption, and reduced productivity. In general, higher levels of consumption are associated with higher levels of harm; however, high rates of harm have been found among low to moderate drinkers on the occasions they drink to intoxication.[1] In Australia, alcohol is second only to tobacco as a cause of preventable morbidity and mortality.[2,3] The NSW Health Drug and Alcohol Plan 2006-2010 outlines the NSW Government's commitment to reduce the problems caused by alcohol use.[4]

In 2006, the New South Wales Population Health Survey asked respondents: How often do you usually drink alcohol? On a day when you drink alcohol, how many standard drinks do you usually have? In the last 4 weeks how often have you had more than 4 [if male] or 2 [if female] drinks in a day? In the last 4 weeks how often have you had 7-10 [if male] or 5-6 [if female] drinks in a day? In the last 4 weeks, how often have you had 11 or more [if male] or 7 or more [if female] drinks in a day?

Any risk drinking behaviour was defined as per Guideline 1 of the Australian Alcohol Guidelines,[5] as one or more of the following: consuming alcohol every day, consuming on average more than 4 if male or 2 if female standard drinks per day, or consuming more than 6 if male or 4 if female standard drinks on any occasion in the last 4 weeks.

High risk alcohol drinking was categorised into low risk (having consumed up to 6 standard drinks on any one day if male, or up to 4 drinks if female); risky (having consumed 7-10 standard drinks on any one day if male, and 5-6 if female); and high risk (having consumed 11 or more standard drinks in any one day if male, and 7 or more if female), as per Guideline 1 of the Australian Alcohol Guidelines.[5]

Results

Any risk drinking behaviour

In 2006, just under one third of adults (32.8 per cent) reported any risk drinking behaviour. The proportion of males (37.3 per cent) reporting any risk drinking behaviour was significantly higher than females (28.4 per cent).

Among males, there was no significant variation among age groups, compared with the overall adult male population. Among females, risk drinking decreased significantly with age. A significantly higher proportion of those aged 16-24 years (39.6 per cent) and 25-34 years (36.0 per cent), and a significantly lower proportion of those aged 55-64 per cent (21.3 per cent) and 65-74 years (20.3 per cent) and over 75 years (16.8 per cent), undertook any risk drinking behaviour, compared with the overall adult female population.

Risk drinking increased with socioeconomic disadvantage. A higher proportion of adults (37.0 per cent) in the most disadvantaged quintile, and a lower proportion of adults (27.4 per cent) in the least disadvantaged quintile, undertook any risk drinking behaviours, compared with the overall adult population.

There was significant geographic variation in any risk drinking behaviour, with a significantly higher proportion of rural adults (37.2 per cent) undertaking any risk drinking behaviour than urban adults (30.9 per cent). A higher proportion of adults in the North Coast (37.3 per cent), Greater Southern (41.3 per cent), and Greater Western (37.6 per cent) Health Areas undertook any risk drinking behaviour, compared with the overall adult population. A lower proportion of adults in the Sydney South West (28.4 per cent) and Sydney West (25.2 per cent) Health Areas undertook any risk drinking behaviour, compared with the overall adult population.

Encouragingly, there has been a significant decrease in the proportion of adults reporting any risk drinking behaviour between 1997 (42.3 per cent) and 2006 (32.8 per cent). This decrease was significant in both males (50.6 per cent to 37.3 per cent) and females (34.3 per cent to 28.4 per cent).

High risk alcohol drinking: Binge drinking

Overall, in 2006, 67.2 per cent of adults are not at risk, 15.4 per cent were classified as low risk, 8.1 per cent were classified as risky, and 9.4 per cent were classified as high risk, as per Guideline 1 of the Australian Alcohol Guidelines. The proportion of males reporting high risk alcohol drinking (12.3 per cent) was significantly higher than the proportion of females (6.4 per cent).

Among males, high risk drinking decreased significantly with age. A significantly higher proportion of those aged 16-34 years (16-24 = 24.1 per cent and 25-34 = 18.3 per cent), and a significantly lower proportion of those aged 45 years and over (45-54 = 8.2 per cent, 55-64 = 5.6 per cent, 65-74 = 3.2 per cent, and 75+ = 2.5 per cent), undertook high risk alcohol drinking, compared with the overall adult male population. Among females, a significantly higher proportion aged 16-34 years (16-24 = 13.7 per cent and 25-34 = 10.6 per cent), and a significantly lower proportion aged 45 years and over (45-54 = 4.4 per cent, 55-64 = 2.3 per cent, 65-74 = 0.8 per cent, and 75+ = 0.0 per cent), undertook high risk alcohol drinking, compared with the overall adult female population.

There was no variation in high risk drinking behaviour by level of socioeconomic disadvantage.

A significantly higher proportion of rural adults (10.8 per cent) than urban adults (8.7 per cent) undertook high risk drinking behaviour. A higher proportion of adults in the Greater Southern Health Area (13.4 per cent) undertook high risk drinking behaviour, compared with the overall adult population.

Encouragingly, there has been a significant decrease in the proportion of adults reporting high risk drinking behaviour between 2002 (14.7 per cent) and 2006 (9.4 per cent). This decrease was significant in both males (16.8 per cent to 12.3 per cent) and females (12.1 per cent to 6.4 per cent).

References

  1. National Expert Advisory Committee on Alcohol. Alcohol in Australia: Issues and Strategies. Canberra: Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care, 2001. Available online at www.alcohol.gov.au (accessed 8 May 2007).
  2. Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy. National Alcohol Strategy 2006-2009. Canberra: Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care, 2006. Available online at www.alcohol.gov.au (accessed 8 May 2007).
  3. Population Health Division. The health of the people of New South Wales: Report of the Chief Health Officer, 2006. Sydney: NSW Department of Health 2006. Available online at www.health.nsw.gov.au/public-health/chorep (accessed 8 May 2007).
  4. Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Office. NSW Health Drug and Alcohol Plan 2006-2010 Sydney: NSW Department of Health 2007. Available online at www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/2007/drug_alcohol_plan.html (accessed 8 May 2007).
  5. Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. Australian Alcohol Guidelines. Canberra: Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care, 2006. Available online at www.alcohol.gov.au (accessed 8 May 2007).

Graphs

Source: New South Wales Population Health Survey 2006 (HOIST). Centre for Epidemiology and Research, NSW Department of Health.
Print version: Although this page can be printed directly from your web browser, a higher quality version is available as a PDF file that can be printed or viewed on screen.
Produced by: Centre for Epidemiology and Research, Population Health Division, NSW Department of Health.
Last updated on: 1 July 2007

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