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AnnualAlcoholPoll2013

What Australians are saying about alcohol

We do this every year – conduct a national community poll about Australia’s attitude towards alcohol.

Now you would think there shouldn’t be anything surprising in our findings. After all we all know about our famous drinking culture.

You would be wrong.

Over time this poll has progressively peeled back the societal layers to reveal what is really happening in Australia. This year the poll shows some very worrying attitudes towards alcohol, and even more worrying behaviours and practices.

As Australians we are in love with the idea that we love a drink.

Nothing new here!

When the poll results are launched tomorrow they will confirm the justifiable concern that we have the beginnings of a major public health catastrophe on our hands.

Not just a short-term harms problem; violence and antisocial behaviour, but one of chronic illness and disease.

This is new.

Large numbers of young people are binge drinking – at levels that will bring about the early onset of liver disease, cancers and conditions that we should not see among a generation that should be the healthiest in history.

As for my Baby Boomer peers the frequency with which we are drinking is also contributing to growing chronic disease burdens.

We run the risk of our hard-earned retirements being spent in doctors surgeries and hospital queues.

When the poll is launched we will see some fascinating illustrations of why the public health sector is increasingly concerned that so little is being done to obviate what is plainly an emerging crisis.

2013 will see a Federal election.

Once again in this election there are likely to be pitches from the parties that we need to increase our preventative health efforts to mitigate the increasing cost of the public health system.

Once again I forecast that these will be hollow promises, or at least unmet by any meaningful action.

FARE’s Annual Alcohol Poll has consistently shown Australians want action by government and the alcohol industry to reduce the annual toll.

The results will also demonstrate that there is another dimension to the alcohol harm equation that deserves greater attention and better responses.

For governments to continue to have a tin ear to these problems is tantamount to neglect.

It is time for action.

This action needs to accept that there are real long-term risks to the nation’s health and its economy if our drinking patterns do not change.

And the thing is – we know what to do. Unlike some other public health crises we have faced in times past.

Michael Thorn

Michael was was Chief Executive of the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) from January 2011 until November 2019

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