One in three young people are drinking excessively, the Australian Bureau of Statistics has revealed, as a report shines a light onto Australia’s drinking culture.
The latest numbers show that young adults are dismissing health guidelines in droves, with more than a third of people aged 18-24 saying their drinking habits exceeded the recommended limits.
Of those people, 14.7% said they had more than 10 drinks in a single day at some point last year, and 33.7% said they had more than five drinks.
This means that young people are drinking higher amounts of alcohol on single occasions far more than any other age group.
The results, released last week, came from the National Health Survey 2022. The Australian Alcohol Guidelines say a healthy adult should drink no more than 10 standard drinks a week, and no more than four a day.
The survey also revealed that men were far more likely to exceed guidelines than women, and Australian-born citizens were more than twice as likely than others to do so.
Alcohol and Drug Foundation CEO Dr Erin Lalor said the data showed that many Aussies were exceeding the guidelines “regularly” and were increasing their risk of injuries, illnesses and diseases such as cancer.
“We sadly know that many people at risk of experiencing harms from alcohol aren’t aware their use is a problem, which is why we urgently need greater investment in education around risky drinking, including clear information about the harm it causes,” she said in a statement.
“This data also highlights the importance of targeted education campaigns for those that are at greatest risk in the community, including men, young people and people living in regional and remote areas.”
She said death rates from alcohol were the highest ever recorded in 2022, adding that a lot of people didn’t realise just how risky heavy drinking could be.
It isn’t all bad news for Gen Z though, as recent data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare suggested that people aged 18-24 are actually avoiding alcohol or drinking less. The data, measuring changes from 2007-2019, showed that as many as 21% of people aged 18-24 say they were abstaining entirely, up from 13.1%.
However for those still drinking, better lessons are needed to raise the awareness of the serious health problems excessive alcohol consumption can cause.
If you or someone you know needs assistance with drug or alcohol addiction, visit Lifeline or call them on 13 11 14. You can find more support at the Australian Drug and Alcohol Foundation’s directory HERE.
