Alcohol consumption

The 2009 National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) guidelines for reducing health risks associated with the consumption of alcohol state that, for healthy men and women, 'drinking no more than two standard drinks on any day reduces the lifetime risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury' [1].

The 2009 NHMRC guidelines also advise that on a single occasion of drinking, the risk of alcohol related injury increases with the amount consumed. For healthy men and women, 'drinking no more than four standard drinks on a single occasion reduces the risk of alcohol related injury arising from that occasion' [1]. A single occasion of drinking refers to a person consuming a sequence of drinks without their blood alcohol concentration reaching zero in between.

For more information please refer to the Glossary.

• Almost one in six (15.7%) adults consumed more than two standard drinks per day on average, exceeding the lifetime risk guideline in 2017-18, which was similar to 2014-15 (17.6%).
• Men were almost three times as likely to exceed the lifetime guideline as women. Almost a quarter (23.3%) of men and around one in eleven women (8.4%) exceeded the lifetime risk guideline in 2017-18. These rates have remained relatively similar since 2014-15 (26.7% and 9.1% respectively).
• Young adults were less likely to exceed the lifetime risk guideline than older adults; 6.1% aged 18-24 years compared with 19.7% aged 45-54 years.
• Since 2014-15, declines were observed in adults aged 18-24 years and 35-44 years exceeding the lifetime risk guideline, from 13.6% to 6.1% and 21.7% to 14.5% respectively.
• Adults residing in Inner Regional or Outer Regional and Remote were more likely to exceed the lifetime risk guideline (22.1% and 22.6% respectively) compared with those living in Major Cities (13.9%).
   

• Around two in five (39.1%) adults consumed more than four standard drinks on one occasion in the past year, exceeding the single occasion risk guideline, which was similar to 2014-15 (42.5%).
• Men were more likely to exceed the single occasion risk guideline than women (51.1% and 27.6% respectively).
• Young adults (aged 18-24 years) (58.3%) were more likely to exceed the single risk occasion risk guideline than any other age group.
• Unlike other health risk factors, the proportion of adults who exceeded the single occasion risk guideline were highest among those living in areas of least disadvantage (fifth quintile) at 43.9% compared with those living in areas of most advantage (first quintile) at 35.3%.
   

New South Wales had a lower rate of adults exceeding the single occasion risk guideline compared with Australia (39.1% compared with 42.1%).

• Almost one in seven (14.5%) adults consumed more than two standard drinks per day on average, exceeding the lifetime risk guideline in 2017-18, similar to 2014-15 (15.6%).
• Men were more than twice as likely to exceed the lifetime guideline as women. More than one in five (21.0%) men and around one in eleven women (8.2%) exceeded the lifetime risk guideline in 2017-18.
• Unlike other health risk factors such as smoking and overweight or obesity, the proportion of adults who exceeded the lifetime risk guideline was highest among those living in areas of least disadvantage (fifth quintile) compared with those living in areas of most disadvantage (first quintile) (17.7% and 9.4% respectively).
   

• Two in five (41.8%) adults consumed more than four standard drinks on one occasion in the past year, exceeding the single occasion risk guideline, which was similar to 2014-15 (42.5%) and 2011-12 (43.3%).
• Men were more likely to exceed the single occasion risk guideline than women (54.1% and 29.8% respectively). These rates have remained similar since 2011-12 (57.4% and 29.7% respectively).
• As found with the lifetime risk guidelines, the proportion of adults exceeding the single occasion risk guideline was highest among those living in areas of least disadvantage (fifth quintile) at 50.8% compared with those living in areas of most disadvantage (first quintile) at 27.1%.
   

• One in six (17.3%) adults consumed more than two standard drinks per day on average, exceeding the lifetime risk guideline in 2017-18, which was similar to 2014-15 (18.0%).
• Men were more likely to exceed the lifetime risk guideline than women. One quarter (25.7%) of men and around one in ten women (9.3%) exceeded the lifetime risk guideline. These rates have remained similar since 2014-15 (24.9% and 10.8% respectively).
• Young adults aged 18-24 were less likely to exceed the lifetime risk guideline (12.0%) than those aged 65-74 years (21.1%).
• Adults residing in Outer Regional and Remote areas were more likely to exceed the lifetime risk guideline (21.1%) compared with those living in Inner Regional areas (14.8%).
   

• Almost half (46.6%) of adults consumed more than four standard drinks on one occasion in the past year, exceeding the single occasion risk guideline. This rate has remained unchanged since 2014-15 (46.4%).
• Men were more likely to exceed the single occasion risk guideline than women (57.6% and 35.9% respectively), which is similar to 2014-15 (58.2% and 34.7% respectively).
• In general, younger adults aged 18-24 years were more likely to exceed the single occasion risk guidelines (61.3%) compare with those aged 55-64 years (39.6%) and 65 years and over (21.9%).
   

Queensland had a higher rate of adults exceeding the single occasion risk guideline compared with Australia (46.6% compared with 42.1%).

• Almost one in six (16.0%) adults consumed more than two standard drinks per day on average, exceeding the lifetime risk guideline in 2017-18, which was similar to 2014-15 (16.8%).
• Men were more than twice as likely to exceed the lifetime risk guideline as women (23.6% compared with 9.5%). These rates have remained unchanged since 2014-15 (24.1% and 9.7% respectively).
• Australian born adults were almost twice as likely as those born overseas to drink in excess of the lifetime risk guideline (18.0% compared with 12.0% respectively).
   

• Two in five (40.3%) adults consumed more than four standard drinks on one occasion in the past year, exceeding the single occasion risk guideline, which has declined since 2014-15 (44.7%).
• Men were more likely to exceed the single occasion risk guideline than women (51.8% and 29.0% respectively).
• Younger adults aged 18-24 years and 25-34 years were more likely to exceed the single risk occasion risk guideline than any other age group at 59.6% and 59.7% respectively.
• Similar to the lifetime risk guideline, adults born in Australia (45.9%) were more likely to exceed the single occasion risk guideline than adults who were born overseas (26.4%).
   

• Almost one in five (18.7%) adults consumed more than two standard drinks per day on average, exceeding the lifetime risk guideline. These rates have declined since 2011-12 (25.4%), but remained similar to 2014-15 (20.8%).
• Men were three times more likely than women to exceed the lifetime risk guideline (28.1% compared with 9.3%).
   

• Over two in five (44.1%) adults consumed more than four standard drinks on one occasion in the past year, exceeding the single occasion risk guideline. This rate was similar to 2014-15 (47.0%), but has declined since 2011-12 (49.3%).
• Men were almost twice as likely to exceed the single occasion risk guideline compared with women (57.8% compared with 30.7%).
• The proportion of adults exceeding the single occasion risk guideline was highest among those living in areas of least disadvantage (fifth quintile) at 50.9% compared with those living in areas of most disadvantage at 30.8% (first quintile).

Western Australia had a higher rate of adults who exceeded lifetime risk guidelines of alcohol consumption compared with Australia (18.7% compared with 16.1%). 

• Over one in six (17.1%) adults consumed more than two standard drinks per day on average, exceeding the lifetime risk guideline. Whilst the rate in 2017-18 has remained similar to 2014-15 (18.6%), it has declined since 2011-12 (22.7%).
• Men were almost three times as likely (25.7%) to exceed the lifetime risk guideline as women (9.4%).
   

• Almost half of adults (45.4%) consumed more than four standard drinks on one occasion in the past year, exceeding the single occasion risk guideline. This rate has remained unchanged since 2014-15 (45.7%) and 2011-12 (48.9%).
• Men (59.6%) were more likely to exceed the single occasion risk guideline than women (32.9%).

Tasmania had a higher rate of adults who exceeded the single occasion risk guideline compared with Australia (45.4% compared with 42.1%). 

• More than one in five (21.4%) adults consumed more than two standard drinks per day on average, exceeding the lifetime risk guideline in 2017-18, which was similar to 2014-15 (19.3%).
• Men were more than twice as likely to exceed the lifetime risk guideline as women (29.1% and 13.9% respectively). These rates have remained relatively similar since 2014-15 (29.0% and 9.1% respectively).
   

• Almost half (49.1%) of adults consumed more than four standard drinks on one occasion in the past year, exceeding the single occasion risk guideline. This rate has remained steady since 2014-15 (47.8%).
• Men were more likely to exceed the single occasion risk guideline than women (60.7% and 37.4% respectively).
   

Northern Territory had higher rates of adults exceeding both the lifetime risk guideline (21.4% compared with 16.1%) and single occasion risk guideline (49.1% compared with 42.1%) compared with Australia. 

• Almost one in six (16.0%) adults consumed more than two standard drinks per day on average, exceeding the lifetime risk guideline in 2017-18, similar to the rate in 2014-15 (15.7%). However there has been a decline since 2011-12 (21.0%).
• Men were more than twice as likely as women (22.5% compared with 9.4%) to have exceeded the lifetime risk guideline. These rates have remained relatively similar since 2014-15 (23.4% and 9.2% respectively).
   

• More than two in five (44.1%) adults consumed more than four standard drinks on one occasion in the past year, exceeding the single occasion risk guideline. This rate was similar to 2014-15 (44.3%).
• Men were over one and a half times more likely than women (53.9% compared with 34.2%) to have exceeded the single occasion risk guideline. These rates have remained similar since 2014-15 (56.1% and 33.2% respectively).
   

1. National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), 2009. Australian guideline to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol, Canberra: NHMRC https://nhmrc.gov.au/health-advice/alcohol ; last accessed 12/11/2018