3-8

Home > State of Our Health > Chapter 3 - Staying healthy > 3-8. Alcohol risk

3-8. Alcohol-related risk

3-8-1. Alcohol-related single occasion injury risk in South Australia – by Statistical Area

3-8-2. Alcohol-related single occasion injury risk in South Australia – by age and sex

3-8-3. Alcohol-related single occasion injury risk – by socio-economic status

3-8-4. Alcohol-related lifetime risk in South Australia – by Statistical Area

3-8-5. Alcohol-related lifetime risk in South Australia – by age and sex

3-8-6. Alcohol-related lifetime risk – by socio-economic status

3-8-7. Long-term risk of harm from alcohol – by state and territory

3-8-8. Long-term risk of harm from alcohol – Aboriginal people

Sources

 

3-8-1. Alcohol-related single occasion injury risk in South Australia – by Statistical Area

  • Under current guidelines on alcohol consumption produced by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), for healthy men and women, drinking no more than four standard drinks on a single occasion at least monthly reduces the risk of alcohol-related injury arising from that occasion.
  • In 2016, over a quarter (26.1%) of South Australians aged 15 years or more reported drinking more than four standard alcoholic drinks on a single occasion at least monthly, putting them at risk of alcohol-related injury1.
  • The rate varies substantially between Australian Bureau of Statistics' defined Statistical Areas (SA4s), from 22.1% in the Country SA South-East SA4 to 48.3% in the Country SA Outback SA41.
  • A statistically significant trend was identified over the last five years of available data in the Country SA series1.
  • Please note that data prior to 2011 is not available.

 

At risk of alcohol-related injury (aged 15+ years), 2016
Statistical Area (SA4) %
Metro. Adelaide - North SA4 23.6%
Metro. Adelaide - Central & Hills SA4 23.2%
Metro. Adelaide - West SA4 24.2%
Metro. Adelaide - South SA4 30.0%
Metropolitan Adelaide 25.8%
Country SA - Barossa Yorke Mid North SA4 22.6%
Country SA - Outback SA4 48.3%
Country SA - South East SA4 22.1%
Country SA 26.8%
South Australia 26.1%
Australia n.a.

3-8-1

Data source: SA Health 2017

_

3-8-2. Alcohol-related single occasion injury risk in South Australia – by age and sex

  • Under current guidelines on alcohol consumption produced by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), for healthy men and women, drinking no more than four standard drinks on a single occasion at least monthly reduces the risk of alcohol-related injury arising from that occasion.
  • In 2016, the proportion of males aged 15 years or more who reported drinking on a single occasion at least monthly at levels that puts them at risk of alcohol-related injury (35.4%) was around double the female rate (17.1%)1.
  • Level of risk is also correlated with age, with the highest proportions among both males and females occurring in the younger age cohorts1.

 


At risk of alcohol-related injury (aged 15+ years), 2016
Age (years) Males Females
15-24 41.5% 35.8%
25-34 41.7% 19.1%
35-44 44.4% 17.4%
45-54 39.4% 19.9%
55-64 31.9% 11.7%
65-74 23.4% 7.3%
75+ 9.1% 1.2%
All ages 35.4% 17.1%

3-8-2

Data source: SA Health 2017

_

3-8-3. Alcohol-related single occasion injury risk in South Australia – by socio-economic status

  • Under current guidelines on alcohol consumption produced by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), for healthy men and women, drinking no more than four standard drinks on a single occasion at least monthly reduces the risk of alcohol-related injury arising from that occasion.
  • There is no clear correlation between proportion of people aged 15 years or more who report drinking on a single occasion at least monthly that puts them at risk of alcohol-related injury and the socio-economic status (SES) of the area in which they live1.

 

At risk of alcohol-related injury (aged 15+ years), 2016
Socio-economic status (SES) %
Lowest SES 27.4%
Low SES 23.0%
Middle SES 25.7%
High SES 21.7%
Highest SES 31.6%

3-8-3

Data source: SA Health 2017

_

3-8-4. Alcohol-related lifetime risk in South Australia – by Statistical Area

  • Under current guidelines on alcohol consumption produced by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), 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.
  • In 2016, roughly one in six (16.5%) South Australians aged 15 years or more reported drinking more than two standard alcoholic drinks on any day, putting them at lifetime risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury1.
  • The rate varies substantially between Australian Bureau of Statistics' defined Statistical Areas (SA4s), from 10.8% in the Country SA Barossa-Yorke-Mid North SA4 to 38.2% in the Country SA Outback SA41.
  • A statistically significant underlying trend was identified over the last five years of available data in the metropolitan Adelaide series1.
  • Please note that data prior to 2011 is not available.

 

At lifetime risk of alcohol-related disease or injury (aged 15+ years), 2016
Statistical Area (SA4) %
Metro. Adelaide - North SA4 14.0%
Metro. Adelaide - Central & Hills SA4 16.9%
Metro. Adelaide - West SA4 13.8%
Metro. Adelaide - South SA4 19.8%
Metropolitan Adelaide 16.3%
Country SA - Barossa Yorke Mid North SA4 10.8%
Country SA - Outback SA4 38.2%
Country SA - South East SA4 12.2%
Country SA 17.2%
South Australia 16.5%
Australia n.a.

3-8-4

Data source: SA Health 2017

_

3-8-5. Alcohol-related lifetime risk in South Australia – by age and sex

  • Under current guidelines on alcohol consumption produced by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), 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.
  • In 2016, around a quarter (24.2%) of males aged 15 years or more reported drinking on a day at levels that puts them at lifetime risk of alcohol-related disease or injury, more than double the corresponding female rate (9.1%)1.
  • The disproportionate levels of lifetime risk of harm from alcohol for males compared to females is recorded across all age cohorts1.

 


At lifetime risk of alcohol-related disease or injury (aged 15+ years), 2016
Age (years) Males Females
15-24 9.1% 6.5%
25-34 19.4% 6.7%
35-44 32.2% 7.3%
45-54 34.7% 16.7%
55-64 27.0% 12.6%
65-74 31.6% 7.3%
75+ 13.2% 4.1%
All ages 24.2% 9.1%

3-8-5

Data source: SA Health 2017

_

3-8-6. Alcohol-related lifetime risk in South Australia – by socio-economic status

  • Under current guidelines on alcohol consumption produced by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), 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.
  • There is no clear correlation between proportion of people aged 15 years or more who report drinking at levels that put them at a lifetime risk of harm from alcohol and the socio-economic status (SES) of the area in which they live1.

 

At lifetime risk of alcohol-related disease or injury (aged 15+ years), 2016
Socio-economic status (SES) %
Lowest SES 14.9%
Low SES 16.1%
Middle SES 15.8%
High SES 14.1%
Highest SES 21.0%

3-8-6

Data source: SA Health 2017

_

3-8-7. Long-term risk of harm from alcohol – by state and territory

  • Data presented here is from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2014-15 National Health Survey for people aged 18 years and over. Therefore it is not directly comparable to the 2016 information presented in 3-8-4 to 3-8-6 above from the South Australian Health Omnibus Survey which is for persons aged 15 years and over. However, the survey uses the same guidelines on alcohol consumption produced by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). i.e., 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.
  • The national survey found that about one in six (16.8%) of South Australians aged 18 years and over had average daily consumption of alcohol that puts them at lifetime risk of alcohol-related disease or injury . This is a reduction from the 18.1% reported in the previous survey (for 2011-12)2.
  • The rate for South Australians was at the lower end nationally, only Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory having lower reported rates2.

 


Average daily alcohol consumption exceeding lifetime risk guidelines (aged 18+ years), 2014-15
State/Territory %
Victoria 15.6%
Australian Capital Territory 15.7%
South Australia 16.8%
New South Wales 17.6%
Queensland 18.0%
Tasmania 18.6%
Northern Territory 19.3%
Western Australia 20.8%
Australia 17.4%

3-8-7

Data source: ABS 2015

_

3-8-8. Long-term risk of harm from alcohol – Aboriginal people

  • Under current guidelines on alcohol consumption produced by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), 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.
  • Less than one in ten (9.6%) Aboriginal people in South Australia aged 15 years or more reported exceeding lifetime risk guidelines (2009 NHMRC guidelines) for alcohol consumption, well below the national average for Aboriginal people of 14.7%3.
  • Compared to Aboriginal people aged 15 years and over in other states and territories, South Australia was ranked the lowest for this indicator3.
  • The 2014-15 rate for Aboriginal people (ages 15 years and over) of 9.6% was also below the 2014-15 all-population rate reported above in 3-8-7 for South Australia (ages 18 years and over) of 16.8%3.

 


At lifetime risk of alcohol-related disease or injury - Aboriginal people (aged 15+ years), 2014-15
State/Territory %
South Australia 9.6%
Victoria 10.8%
Australian Capital Territory 12.0%
Northern Territory 13.3%
Tasmania 14.5%
Queensland 15.2%
New South Wales 16.2%
Western Australia 16.8%
Australia 14.7%

3-8-8

Data source: ABS 2016

_

Sources

  1. Based on Health Omnibus Survey customised extract 2017, Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia, SA Health, Adelaide.
  2. Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS 2015), ‘Table 10.1 Alcohol consumption — Longer term/Lifetime risk, Persons (estimate)’ and in Tables 20-27 for each jurisdiction, National Health Survey: First Results, 2014-15, cat. no. 4364.0.55.001, viewed 1 June 2016.
  3. Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS 2016), 'Table 2.3 Selected characteristics, by state or territory of usual residence, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons aged 15 years and over – 2014-15, Proportion of persons', National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey, Australia, 2014-15, cat. no. 4714.0, viewed 6 September 2016.