Alcohol is an intrinsic part of Australian culture and it plays a central role in most people's social lives. Heavy drinking is seen as acceptable in almost all social situations, from weddings to sports matches, and even at funerals or baby showers.
Alcohol is served in many social and recreational situations, and its use is often encouraged. While drinking alcohol is often seen as intrinsic to Australian culture, the effects associated with over-consumption don't just affect the individual, but also the wider national community.
Approximately 40% of the population (aged 14 years and over) drink alcohol at least once per week, including 5% of the population who drink daily. Twenty-three percent of Australians do not drink alcohol at all.
Australians are some of the heaviest drinkers in the world, drinking more than ten litres of pure alcohol per year, according to a new data. The figures released by the World Health Organisation show Australians drink more pure alcohol per year than Americans, Canadians and the Japanese.
Belarus, a country that drinks the most liters of pure alcohol than any other country in the world, was also classified as having one the riskiest pattern of drinking.
Approximately 84 per cent of Australians drink alcohol at least once in a 12-month period, compared to 83.9 per cent in the UK and 68.9 per cent in the US. However, the UK leads the way with alcohol abuse problems.
Australian drinking culture
Drinking is arguably a big part of Australian culture.
Men are far more likely to drink heavily than women, with 42% of men reporting heavy drinking levels compared to 25% of women.
Consumption of more than 28 standard drinks per week for men or 14 standard drinks for women is considered hazardous. More than 42 standard drinks per week for men or 28 standard drinks for women is considered harmful. Problem drinking includes: alcohol consumption at levels that are harmful or potentially so.
Australia's annual alcohol consumption is relatively high compared to other developed countries. The most recent data by country for 18 selected developed countries, indicated that annual alcohol consumption was in the range of 6 to 12 litres per capita.
It's official – Australians love their vino. According to new research, the most consumed drink in the country is wine, and the vast majority of those drinking it are female.
Approximately one in four (25.9%) Western Australians reported drinking at levels (more than four standard drinks) that increase their risk of harm on a single drinking occasion (at least monthly). This is higher in comparison to the national average (24.8%).
Australians aged 18-24 years generally consume more standard drinks on a day they drink than any other age group. Those aged 70+ years are most likely to have 2 or less standard drinks per occasion.
The youngest legal drinking age in the world is 15, with both Mali and the Central African Republic allowing folks to drink at that time. Seven countries do not have a government-mandated drinking age, while 11 countries ban the consumption of booze entirely.
Alcohol is an intrinsic part of Australian culture and it plays a central role in most people's social lives. Heavy drinking is seen as acceptable in almost all social situations, from weddings to sports matches, and even at funerals or baby showers.
Looking at the amount of alcohol consumed per person aged 15 years or older, the Seychelles is in first place with around 20.5 litres of alcohol drunk per person per year, according to Our World in Data; studies show that young male peer groups primarily drink high amounts of alcohol in the Seychelles.
“Alcohol consumption has been decreasing here since about 2007, and we've seen a 10 per cent reduction in per capita consumption across the whole population,” says Dr Michael Livingston, associate professor at the National Drug Research Institute at Curtin University.
Australian Capital Territory – permanent alcohol-free places (legislation) New South Wales – Sydney alcohol restrictions (for other areas, find the council it's in and go to their website) Northern Territory – where you can't drink in the NT and about dry areas.
“Ballarat has a renowned history as being a pub town – in 1870 boasting over 500 pubs in the district as a result of the Gold Rush. “It is also well known for the brew “Ballarat Bertie” which unfortunately is only made now in special batches.
They might not know how much they are really drinking. In Australia, alcohol is very accepted and normalised. Because of this, many people do not realise its short- and long-term negative effects. At least 1 in 3 Australian adults drinks enough alcohol to put them at risk of disease or injury.