Abstract
To the Editor
In the June 2012 edition of this Journal, Best and Lubman (2012) noted that it is probable that ‘58% of those who have a life-time substance dependence will eventually achieve stable recovery’. This was welcome, as too often negative data regarding substance abuse, alcohol in particular, is portrayed not only in the media, but also in peer-reviewed journals. As they went on to note, ‘as professionals in this field, it is our duty to disseminate this statistic to our colleagues’.
With this in mind, it is little publicised that there has been a reduction in overall alcohol consumption in Australia in recent years. For example, in the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare (AIHW) document ‘Drugs in Australia 2010’, it was noted that there had been ‘a significant decline in daily drinking between 2007 and 2010 (from 8.1% to 7.2% of the population aged 12 years and over)’ (AIHW, 2011). Furthermore, in another AIHW publication, ‘Drinking patterns in Australia, 2001–2007’, it was reported that ‘Over the years, among young males and females (aged 14–19 years), the prevalence of risky or high-risk drinking has decreased’, and respondents’ awareness of the potential for long-term alcohol-related harm had improved (AIHW, 2010).
It is also of interest that in a country-by-country 40-year comparison of 30 nations, when data were available for those countries in 1969, Australia was ranked sixth out of 23 in terms of litres of pure alcohol consumed per capita of population; in 1979 it was ranked 10th out of 26; in 1989 it was ranked 13th out of 30; in 1999 it was ranked 17th out of 30; and in the most recent data for 2009, it was ranked 11th out of 24 countries for whom there were available data (AIHW, 2011).
These results may be unexpected to some, as Australians are usually portrayed as being near the top of the international drinking table, with there being an ever-increasing problem. While these figures are gratifying, they provide no reason for complacence, as there is no doubt that alcohol remains a significant contributor to disability in Australia. However, it is reassuring that changes have occurred, and one can only agree with Best and Lubman (2012) that data such as these should be widely acknowledged as a step in the right direction.
Footnotes
Funding
This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Declaration of interest
RDG is a Director of DrinkWise Australia, a not-for-profit organisation funded by voluntary contributions from the alcohol industry, which uses social marketing approaches to encourage the adoption of a healthier and safer drinking culture.