At the Global Alcohol Policy Conference, Dr Adrian Griscti, a rural GP from Angaston in the Barossa Valley, South Australia, and a clinical educator at Flinders University and Adelaide University, presented research that explored associations between wine industry affiliation, the availability of free or discounted alcohol, understanding of National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) guidelines, and alcohol consumption.
Despite alcohol-related health and social problems being well recognised throughout Australia, Dr Griscti shared how residents of wine-producing communities commonly have access to discounted alcohol.
“In our region, the majority of people work in the wine industry, and over 75 per cent have an affiliation the wine industry through family, friends or housemates. Anecdotally, not many people in the Barossa Valley pay full price for wine. For a significant number of people who work in the wine industry – particularly those that had access to free and discounted wines – there was increased binge drinking.
In this short video interview, Dr Griscti shares about the importance of educating people about the risks of alcohol and the (NHMRC) guidelines.
There are a number of things we need to do, and I think one of the most important things we need to do is to provide better education [about the risks of alcohol] both within companies, for health professionals and the community in general.
Studies show that people that drink alcohol interpret the (NHMRC) guidelines more to suit their own consumption. I think it needs to be on the front burner rather than the back burner.
[vimeo id=”237693598″]
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