We drink more alcohol and most often at home – even before COVID lockdowns
The nation’s most comprehensive annual alcohol poll sheds light on what we drink and think.
20/08/2020
The nation’s most comprehensive annual alcohol poll sheds light on what we drink and think.
The home is where the majority of Australians who use alcohol have the largest quantity per occasion and drink most frequently, rather than at pubs, clubs or restaurants.
New data released today shows one-in-five Australians have purchased more alcohol than usual during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the majority are drinking more and have concerns about their alcohol use and the drinking of others in their household.
An ACT Health-funded campaign targeting the ACT’s university students has had a positive impact on the drinking culture of undergraduates with a significant drop in risky drinking.
The National Alcohol Strategy (NAS) provides Australia with a national framework to stop alcohol-related-harm, but analysis of the draft documents found four specific ways in which the strategy had been modified.
The Queensland Coalition for Action on Alcohol (QCAA) says the comprehensive evaluation of Queensland’s late-night measures has found the reforms are achieving important reductions in alcohol-fuelled harm.
In the tenth year of surveying Australians, new polling has found the number of people who drink alcohol to get drunk has edged close to half the drinking population, to around six million people, despite little change in overall alcohol consumption.
Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education – The nation’s most comprehensive annual alcohol poll sheds light on what we drink and think.
The last decade has seen a decline in overall alcohol consumption in Australia, primarily due to a decrease in consumption in young people. In contrast, an increase in risky drinking of baby boomers in national survey data, has been found.
This study was undertaken by FARE’s research partner the Centre for Alcohol Policy and Research (CAPR) at La Trobe University and examines the distribution of alcohol consumption in Australia, identifying the top 10% of Australia’s heaviest drinkers and examining their sociodemographic characteristics, alcohol consumption and purchasing practices.
FARE acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands and waters on which we operate throughout Australia. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and recognise the continuing connection to country of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
©2025 FARE
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FARE acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands and waters on which we operate throughout Australia. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and recognise the continuing connection to country of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
©2025 FARE
Privacy Statement
T&C
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