2017 in review: Alcohol in wastewater

You’re in for a treat this summer. To welcome in the New Year, FARE’s Drink Tank team is showcasing the best of 2017; a selection of the most robust and interesting conversations from preventive health experts, researchers and practitioners for your reading pleasure.

In Drink Tank today we’re taking a close look at a wastewater report into substance use by the prevalent Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) that found that alcohol was the most used drug out of all legal and illegal substances tested in every capital city and regional area across Australia.

In this post, FARE’s Policy Officer Madeleine Day discusses the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program, saying findings showed no difference in average alcohol consumption between people living in the city and people living in rural Australia.

“Alcohol is affecting all of us equally and it is a serious community health issue. People may not want to acknowledge the fact that alcohol causes harm, but the evidence is there. Wastewater doesn’t lie.”