Latest alcohol use research

The Ministry of Health has released its survey of alcohol use in 2012/13. Now bear in mind we’ve had years of people claiming that things are getting worse in NZ and we need to ban some alcoholic products, ban advertising, ban sponsorship, close bars earlier and make it harder to buy a bottle of wine at the supermarket.

So what does this research find has been the trend in the last five years (since 2007/08):

• A 3% drop from 85% to 82% in the number of adults who drink
• A 2% drop from 32% to 30% in the number of adults who say they drank before age 15
• A 22% drop in spirits consumers from 49% of adults to 27%
• A 17% drop in wine consumers from 69% of adults to 52%
• A 7% drop in beer consumers from 66% to 59%
• A 5% drop in RTD consumers from 22% to 17%
• A trend of more moderate drinking with high frequency down from 29% to 28% and low frequency up from 39% to 42%
• A drop in those getting intoxicated from 59% to 57%
• A drop in alcohol caused self harm from 5.5% to 4.1%
• A drop in alcohol adversely affecting home life from 8.5% to 6.1%

There is of course still significant harm caused by alcohol abuse, just as there is also significant pleasure caused by non abusive consumption of alcohol. What is clear is numerous indicators is the trend is positive.