Almost Half of People Who Drink Alcohol Want to Drink Less or Quit

Australians want to give up or lower alcohol intake for many reasons including better health, mental health, and more sleep.

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A new survey finds 44 percent of Australians want to drink less of quit drinking entirely, according to research from the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE).

Many people are driven by health, sleep, and side effect concerns, with 75 percent aiming to improve physical health, 50 percent wanting boost mental health, and 22 percent hoping to improve sleep, while 22 percent dislike how alcohol makes them feel.

“There is no one-size-fits-all approach to cutting back on alcohol and everyone’s experience is different,” she said.

Risky Drinking Also Common Among Older People

Meanwhile, a new report from the Alcohol and Drug Foundation has painted a concerning picture on the impact alcohol on older Australians.

The report revealed older people were dying from alcohol and other drug-related causes at a rate almost two times higher than other ages.

Risky drinking was more common among males aged 60 to 69, with 44 percent drinking at risky levels, compared to 23 percent of females in the same age group.

Alcohol and Drug Foundation CEO Erin Lalor said older people were often overlooked in alcohol and other drug harm reduction efforts.

“Older people drink more regularly than any other age group, and around one third are drinking at risky levels—we know that for many, these have been lifelong habits,” she said.

“This research demonstrates the long-term impacts these habits can have, as we witness spikes in hospitalisations and treatment episodes among older people for harmful alcohol use.”

The report found 79 percent of alcohol and drug trips to hospital were related to alcohol, four times higher than other drug-related hospitalisations.

Further, the research found (pdf) found 33 percent of people aged 60 to 69 drank alcohol at risky levels. This was slightly higher than 32 percent of 20- to 50-year-olds who engaged in risky drinking.

Adults aged 70 and over had the lowest rate of risky drinking among all adult age groups, at 25 percent.

Older adults in their 60s and 70s were just as likely to engage in risky drinking in 2022–23 as they were 12 years prior. However, the proportion of people aged 50 to 59 drinking at risky levels dropped slightly from 36 percent in 2010 to 32 percent in 2022–23.

“The most common principal diagnosis for alcohol-related hospitalisations was dependence (182.4 per 100,000 people), followed by cardiovascular, digestive, and endocrine diseases (79.5 per 100,000 people), and acute intoxication (62.1 per 100,000 people),” the report found.

“Hospitalisation due to harmful alcohol use has increased more than five-fold from 2002-03 (8.5 to 46.7 per 100,000 people in 2020-21).”

Alcohol-related hospitalisations and deaths were at their greatest levels in remote and very remote areas.

“The rate of treatment episodes has also consistently been highest in remote and very remote areas, doubling over the past decade,” the report found.

Alcohol Death Rate Falls Slightly

Meanwhile, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics released on Oct. 10, 2024, showed there were 1,667 alcohol-induced deaths in 2023. Of these, 90.2 percent of alcohol-induced deaths were attributed to chronic alcohol-induced conditions.

The data showed the alcohol-induced standardised death rate fell from 6.2 per 100,000 people in 2022 to 5.6 in 2023. This was the same level as 2021. However, between 2018 and 2022 the death rate rose from 4.7 to 6.2.

“Alcohol-induced deaths are those where the underlying cause can be directly attributed to alcohol use, including acute conditions such as alcohol poisoning or chronic conditions such as alcoholic liver cirrhosis,” the ABS said.

“On average, 69 percent of alcohol-induced deaths are certified by a doctor. These deaths are primarily caused by chronic alcohol-induced conditions.”

However Alcohol and Drug Foundation policy and engagement manager Robert Taylor said these deaths were largely preventable.

“We cannot accept the high level of widespread harm alcohol causes—from life threatening health conditions such as dependence, cancer, and liver cirrhosis, to road trauma and impacts on relationships and mental health” he said.

Online Hub to Help Change Alcohol Habits

FARE have launched a new online hub to help those who may want to make a change or look into the impact of alcohol on their health and wellbeing.

“This new online hub provides people with a range of trusted tips, tools and resources to help them on their journey,” Giorgi said.

Clinical addiction psychiatrist and researcher, Associate Professor Shalini Arunogiri added, “The hub is a great go-to for Australians who are curious about how alcohol impacts their body and mind, and those who are considering making a change.

“For people seeking help to cut down or looking for treatment, the hub can be a great start to point you in the direction of services in your area.”