Top 10% of heaviest drinkers found to be consuming 4-5% more alcohol than a decade ago, and women draw level with men
Very heavy drinking among Australia's most frequent consumers of alcohol has increased over the past decade, one study has found, while women are drawing level with men in terms of consumption rates, according to another study.
A study by Dr Michael Livingston, a post-doctoral research fellow at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, found that the top 10% of heaviest drinkers in Australia are now consuming between 4-5% more alcohol than a decade ago.
This is despite an overall fall in drinking rates through a rise in the number of people abstaining from drink or cutting back on consumption. Australia's heavy drinkers are classified as those who consume more than 3,000 standard drinks a year, or around 60 a week.
A separate study by Dr Catherine Chapman and associate professor Tim Slade found that long-standing differences between men and women have virtually vanished.
The research found that while men born in the early 20th century drank more than three times the amount of women, this gap has narrowed dramatically. Women born in the 1990s are now almost as likely as men to drink alcohol. Chapman said that the shift is also evident in rates of heavy drinking and binge drinking.
Livingston told Guardian Australia that the research shows a conflicted pattern of drinking in Australia.
"It goes against what we thought about alcohol consumption, where if the rate goes down, we all shift together," he said. "The big question is why this is happening. I think there has been a lot of media attention on the issue but it's not quite sinking in with some people.
"Overall, we are seeing a lot in the media about the harmful effects of drinking, as well as things like FebFast and Dry July. There has been an overall shift in thinking about drinking.
"We know that heavy drinkers respond to changes in price, so a minimum price or extra tax could have an impact. Also, an intervention from a health professional can also be helpful." Reported by guardian.co.uk 22 hours ago.
Very heavy drinking among Australia's most frequent consumers of alcohol has increased over the past decade, one study has found, while women are drawing level with men in terms of consumption rates, according to another study.
A study by Dr Michael Livingston, a post-doctoral research fellow at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, found that the top 10% of heaviest drinkers in Australia are now consuming between 4-5% more alcohol than a decade ago.
This is despite an overall fall in drinking rates through a rise in the number of people abstaining from drink or cutting back on consumption. Australia's heavy drinkers are classified as those who consume more than 3,000 standard drinks a year, or around 60 a week.
A separate study by Dr Catherine Chapman and associate professor Tim Slade found that long-standing differences between men and women have virtually vanished.
The research found that while men born in the early 20th century drank more than three times the amount of women, this gap has narrowed dramatically. Women born in the 1990s are now almost as likely as men to drink alcohol. Chapman said that the shift is also evident in rates of heavy drinking and binge drinking.
Livingston told Guardian Australia that the research shows a conflicted pattern of drinking in Australia.
"It goes against what we thought about alcohol consumption, where if the rate goes down, we all shift together," he said. "The big question is why this is happening. I think there has been a lot of media attention on the issue but it's not quite sinking in with some people.
"Overall, we are seeing a lot in the media about the harmful effects of drinking, as well as things like FebFast and Dry July. There has been an overall shift in thinking about drinking.
"We know that heavy drinkers respond to changes in price, so a minimum price or extra tax could have an impact. Also, an intervention from a health professional can also be helpful." Reported by guardian.co.uk 22 hours ago.