Health related behaviours Alcohol use among adults
Note:
Any alcohol risk drinking behaviour was defined as one or more of the following: consuming alcohol every day, consuming on average more than [4 if male/2 if female] standard drinks, consuming more than 6 if male/4 if female on any one occasion or day.
Source:
NSW Health Survey 2003 (HOIST). Centre for Epidemiology and Research, NSW Health.
For many people, alcohol forms part of an enjoyable and generally healthy lifestyle that includes good diet, avoidance of smoking, and exercise. Evidence confirms that, at low levels, alcohol provides health benefits for some people, particularly in the reduction of the risk of heart disease from middle age. However, regular excessive alcohol consumption increases the risk over time of chronic ill health and premature death. Episodic heavy drinking places the drinker and others at risk of injury and death (NHMRC, 2001).
Hunter New England residents over the age of 16 years were asked a number of questions about their alcohol use. Those questions included whether alcohol was consumed every day, whether an average of four or more standard drinks were consumed by males or two standard drinks by females, and whether more than 6 standard drink for males and four standard drinks for females were consumed on more than one occasion or day. The responses to the questions were then combined to give an overall measure of "risk drinking".
Overall, 48.4% of male respondents and 32.5% of female respondents reported risky drinking behaviours. At all ages, males were more likely to report risky drinking behaviours than females, though only significantly higher in the 65 to 74 year age group.
The National Alcohol Strategy 2005-2009: Towards Safer Drinking Cultures (Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy) is currently being drafted and outlines strategies to address intoxication, public safety and amenity, health impacts, and cultural place and availability. Strategies include treatment and clinical interventions, prevention and education, and research and surveillance.
Initiatives to reduce risky drinking behaviour by Hunter New England Population Health are mostly directed at working with licensed premises to improve responsible service of alcohol practices and other environmental factors related to alcohol-related harm. Hunter New England Health also provides community based programmes such as drug and alcohol services.
Public Health Division. The NSW Adult Alcohol Action Plan 1998-2002. Sydney: NSW Department of Health, 1998.
NSW Department of Health. NSW Youth Alcohol Action Plan 2001-2005. Sydney: NSW Department of Health, 2002. Also available online, www.health.nsw.gov.au
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Rider:
The information presented in this report result from analyses of a variety of social and health focused datasets. These datasets originate from a variety of sources including Hunter New England Health, the NSW Department of Health, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The timing of the release of these data to third parties is controlled by the owner of these data. It is therefore possible for these organisations to publish data that they have not yet made available to Hunter New England Population Health for analysis and release. Users should therefore check the publications of these organisations as it is possible that they may have published even more up to date information on Hunter New England than those available in this report. As this report is an ongoing project, the indicators presented will be updated as soon as possible after the release of all datasets to Hunter New England Population Health.
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This work is copyright Hunter New England Area Health Service, 2005. It may be reproduced
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Hunter New England Population Health. Health in Hunter New England. Hunter New England Area Health Service, 2005. Available at:
http://www.hnehealth.nsw.gov.au/HHNE/beh/beh_alcage.htm. Accessed (insert date of access).
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