Alcohol is an undeniable part of Australian culture. It dates back to colonisation, when boatloads of prisoners from the Irish and British Isles transported their tradition of commiserating and celebrating with bottles of rum.
It didn’t take long for alcohol to become ingrained in Australian culture as a symbol of masculinity and comradery.
In more recent times, our relationship with alcohol in Australia has come under scrutiny, as people have grown concerned about alcohol-related harms.
In 2019, daily drinking rates were at the lowest level seen since 1991, and the rise of ‘sober curiosity’, particularly among younger generations, is a cause for optimism.
Yet the harms associated with alcohol are still widespread throughout our communities, and there is more to be done to support Australians to make informed decisions about alcohol.
Changing attitudes
According to a November 2023 survey by Alcohol Change Australia, two in three Australians believe that our country has a problem with alcohol.
This is the first Australian survey of public opinion on alcohol taken since 2019.
“This new report demonstrates that Australians have grown tired of the devastating impacts of alcohol,” said Hannah Pierce, Executive Officer at Alcohol Change Australia.
The 2023 report showed that 30% of Australians are concerned about the alcohol use of someone they know, such as a family member or friend, while 80% of Australians are concerned about alcohol-related harm in our communities.
Another study from 2023 highlights that Australians have come to view alcohol as a more dangerous substance in recent years.
These concerns are present across all age groups and drinking behaviours, which suggests a broad-based shift in our attitudes on alcohol.
Sober curiosity in young people
Existing research provides some indication that changing perceptions about alcohol may be an important driver of reduced alcohol consumption.
While concerns about alcohol harms are apparent across the board, they have only noticeably influenced consumption changes among younger people.
The decline in alcohol consumption in Australia over the past two decades can be largely attributed to major declines in drinking among teens and young adults.
Last year, 400,000 Aussies went alcohol-free – mostly millennials.
The 2019 National Drug Strategy Household Survey found that the proportion of people in their 20s abstaining from alcohol more than doubled in the 18 years between 2001 and 2019, from nine percent to 22 percent.
It also found that people under 18 choosing not to drink rose to 73 percent in 2019, from 39 percent in 2007.
And even more young Australians are questioning their relationship with alcohol, coining the term ‘sober curious’ to describe an informed and reduced approach to drinking.
Gen Z have noticed this shift among their peers, many of whom embrace moderation and take regular breaks from alcohol to improve their physical, mental, and social health.
Young people’s drinking habits appear to be more affected by growing concern about alcohol harms, which may be attributed to stronger public health messaging, education, or exposure to the health and social impacts of alcohol.
More can be done to reduce harms
Empowering Australians with knowledge is an important part of a comprehensive approach to reducing alcohol-related harms across all demographics.
Despite widespread, general concern about alcohol, many people are still unaware of the range and magnitude of the harms caused by alcohol products.
Half of Australians are unsure of current government guidelines about the number of standard drinks that we should not exceed in a day or week.
And alarmingly, less than half of Australians know that alcohol causes cancer.
One of those Australians was Corrine, who didn’t know about the link between alcohol and breast cancer until her own diagnosis in 2022.
Corrine wished she knew more about the dangers of alcohol when she was younger – particularly that alcohol is one of the biggest risk factors for breast cancer.
“The uncomfortable truth is that alcohol is classified as a Group 1 Carcinogen… this is the same classification as tobacco smoke, radiation, and asbestos,” Corrine said.
“I can’t know if this knowledge would have changed my drinking when I was younger. But I do believe we need to be armed with the facts.”
Alcohol Change Australia suggests that too many Australians are in the dark about the health risks of alcohol, and some are being misled by industry attempts to market alcohol products as healthy.
They call on governments to act now to change that.
“Compared to smoking, Australian governments have invested far less in public education campaigns to help increase awareness of alcohol harms,” Pierce said.
“Greater investment in public education campaigns and the introduction of a health warning label, coupled with strong reforms around alcohol price, promotion, and availability, would go a long way in improving the health and wellbeing of all Australians.”
Seven in 10 Australians agree that more needs to be done by governments to reduce alcohol-related harms in Australia, and one strategy is developing greater awareness about the mental, physical, and social health harms caused by alcohol.
This may support more Australians of all ages to question their relationship with alcohol, and get curious about going sober.
Jasmine says science 
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