According to an article on www.thechronicle.com.au young drinkers that are dependent upon alcohol (in other words have an alcohol addiction) are nearly 10 times more likely to have had 10 or more sexual partners within several years than people who do not have an alcohol problem. The article was quoting a new study published in the journal “Drug and Alcohol Dependence” by author Dr Joseph Boden amongst others.

Although the survey was conducting on New Zealand youth, the culture of binge drinking among young people is comparable to Australia’s.

The new study shows that these young people are also nine times more likely to have committed violent offences than young people who have no alcohol abuse issues. The implication of this is great because it shows that quite a number of juvenile and violent young offenders are most likely to be misusing alcohol and if we remove alcohol from this equation, the young adult crime rate could drop by as much as 47 per cent.

The research was conducted at the Otago University in Christchurch, New Zealand involving more than 1000 people who were part of the long term study.

Read an excerpt from a post on www.thechronicle.com.au which explains more about the survey:

The study’s authors, including Dr Joseph Boden, estimate in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence that the elimination of all alcohol misuse could reduce the young adult crime rate by up to 47 per cent.

The research, from Otago University at Christchurch, is based on interviews with around 1000 members of a long-term study who were born in the city in 1977.

The alcohol study draws on answers from when they were aged 21, 25 and 30.

Five per cent met the clinical criteria for alcohol addiction. Up to a quarter had problems with alcohol that were less serious but still affected their daily life to some extent.

Dr Boden said much alcohol research focused on the impact on teenagers – “because they do the most drinking, it peaks at age 21 and drops after that.

Our study shows these adverse effects are occurring up to the age of 30″.

He said earlier research by his group had indicated the risks of hazardous drinking patterns were now stretching further into adult life because of New Zealand’s trend of delaying parenthood, which now on average started in the early 30s.

“It shows people are living this extended adolescence.

Source: http://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/multiple-partners-linked-alcohol-comnsumption/2008849/

With people attempting to prolong their youth they are also doing a lot of partying which means doing the same things they did when they were younger such as binge drinking.  As people delay parenthood they are able to be more irresponsible because as the post explains, “parenthood knocks this stuff right out of people- the drinking, the drugging.” They normally don’t clean up their acts unless they have to.

Dr Boden went on to explain that alcohol law changes passed by NZ Parliament last December were weak and didn’t sufficiently address the problem.

New Zealand’s councils have been warned to take note of the survey’s findings in light of the new local policies they are currently developing.