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Tag: drinkers

  • These Are the Heaviest Drinkers in Australia

    People aged in their 60s drink more often than any other age group, new research from Intermedia shows. Over one quarter of them say they drink most days, compared with less than 10 percent of people in the 20s.

    The information is contained in the report ‘Alcohol Consumption in Australia 2017’, published by Intermedia. The report is based on a survey of 1,027 Australian consumers, asking about every aspect of their drinking habits. It contains a detailed demographic analysis of alcohol consumers in Australia – how much they drink, what they drink, where they drink, and where they buy alcohol.

    We Australians think of ourselves as big drinkers. But we are actually not exceptional. On a global scale we are in the top 20, on a par with the major countries of Western Europe (in terms of litres of pure alcohol per capita per year). Eastern Europeans are the biggest drinkers, and countries with majority Muslim populations the lightest.

    Alcohol plays an important part in Australian society, and there was been much commentary in recent years about the social and public health issues related to alcohol consumption. The level of consumption has declined in recent years, but concern about binge drinking and alcohol-fuelled violence have increased.

    The nature of alcohol consumption in Australia is, we believe, widely misunderstood. This Intermedia study came about because we observed that, while there is substantial data on the size of the alcohol market in Australia, and many reports on consumption, there is very little data that has asked consumers how often they drink, what they are drinking, and where they are drinking it.

    By asking these questions, and by matching the data against the demographics of the respondents, we have been able to develop a profile of Australians’ drinking habits not available from other perspectives.

    This demographic analysis unveils many insights. For example:

    • One third of heavy drinkers are women.
    • Women drink much less often than men when out, except that they drink just as often as when visiting friends.
    • Only about 10 percent of Australians never drink. They are evenly spread across all demographics, except that they are disproportionately found among lower income groups.
    • Most drinkers drink at home, with over a quarter saying they drink at home a few times a week. Nearly one in five say they drink at home most days.
    • Red and white wine are the most popular types of alcohol, with red wine most popular with older people.
    • Only one quarter of the population are regular beer drinkers.
    • The report is available now for $900 + GST. For more information contact Graeme Philipson at Intermedia.

     

    Find out more http://hospitalitymagazine.com.au/baby-boomers-heaviest-drinkers/

  • Do Drinkers Live Longer?

    The issue of whether or not drinking alcohol is beneficial to your health is a contentious one with alot of conflicting research, some suggesting that moderate consumption can extend life by benefiting the heart and others suggesting that there is no safe alcohol levels.

    Moderate drinking which is described as between 2 and 7 glasses of wine a week, has been shown to ward off depression and the same study also revealed that heavy drinking is a risk factor for depression.

    However now there has been a large scale study -The Health and Retirement Study (HRS), described as one of the most indepth studies on alcohol consumption and death risk in the USA, presenting findings of a 16 year follow-up period.

    The results show that moderate and occasional drinkers have lower death rates than non-drinkers.

    The study found that people who didn’t drink at all actually had higher mortality rates.

    Find out more about the study at: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325676.php

  • Study Shows Middle Aged Drinkers Care about Image Than Health

    According to a study, middle-aged drinkers care more about whether their drinking habit harms their image than their health.

    Drinkers from older age groups believe as long as they aren’t vomiting, stumbling, slurring or suffering from hangovers, their health will remain unaffected by their drinking.

    The UK based study says many people disregard recommended drink limits and are rather influenced by factors such as respectability and “being sociable”.

    In other words, middle-aged drinkers care more about being social than they do about their health.

    The study found that gender also played a part in what people considered acceptable drinking. Drunk women were perceived more negatively than men.

    Read more about the study at https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/health/drinking-habits-all-about-image-not-health-new-study-ng-b88965425z

  • Wines That Beer-lovers will Appreciate

    If you’re a beer lover trying to break into the world of wine, it can be a challenge. With so many varieties, makes and price ranges it can be daunting trying to find the right one for you.

    A post on BusinessInsider.com.au provided some wine options for people who love their beer.

    • If you like wheat beer try Vermentino for a similar crisp, fine textured taste.
    • Pilsner lovers will enjoy Pinot Grigio because its crispy, floral and similarly bitter.
    • If Amber ales are your preferred wine, try a rose which is equally full bodied and fruity.
    • Is Golden Ale your tipple of choice? – opt for Chardonnay.

    Find out more at: https://www.businessinsider.com.au/beer-wine-alternatives-2018-8

  • Alcohol Consumption Guidelines Review Called for

    University of Queensland drug and alcohol experts have called for the thresholds for safer alcohol to be lowered, following a global alcohol consumption study.

    The recommendations were made by Wayne Hall and Jason Connor from the university’s Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research.

    The study was co-authored by more than 100 academics from around the globe and included analysis of 599,912 drinkers in 19 countries over a 50 year period.

    The study and a commentary by Professors Hall and Connor is published in The Lancet.

    Professor Hall explained that the study found that people who drank more had an increased risk of serious diseases.

    “The study found that increased alcohol consumption was associated with a higher risk of stroke, coronary disease, heart failure, aortic aneurysm, and fatal levels of high blood pressure,” 

    “Around half of people in the study reported drinking more than 100 grams (or 10 standard drinks) of alcohol per week and almost 10 per cent drank more than 350 grams per week.

    Source: https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2018/04/experts-urge-review-of-alcohol-consumption-guidelines

    Conversely the study found that reducing the amount of alcohol consumed, increased life expectancy in middle-aged drinkers.

    “The study suggests that reductions in alcohol consumption could increase life expectancy by up to two years in a 40-year-old drinker.

    “However, this gain in life expectancy is only seen when alcohol consumption is below 100 grams per week.”

    Source: https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2018/04/experts-urge-review-of-alcohol-consumption-guidelines

    While alcohol consumption guidelines around the globe vary, in Australia guidelines say we should not consume more than 14 standard drinks a week or 140 grams.

    The professor says the study supports an adoption of lower limits of alcohol consumption, which are currently recommended in other countries across the globe – 100 grams per week.

    “These recommended drinking levels will no doubt be described as implausible and impracticable by the alcohol industry and other opponents of public health warnings on alcohol.

    “Nonetheless, the findings ought to be widely disseminated and they should provoke informed public and professional debate.”

    Read more at: https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2018/04/experts-urge-review-of-alcohol-consumption-guidelines

    While suggested guidelines are still being reviewed, we should keep in mind that moderate alcohol consumption is best for your health. Currently we shouldn’t consume more than 2 drinks a day, according to guidelines.

    As servers of alcohol, we must  remember to serve alcohol to patrons in a way that does not knowingly cause them immediate or long term harm. For more about Responsible Service of Alcohol training click here.

     

  • Older People Drinking More and Younger People Drinking Less, Research Shows

    More evidence of a reduction in teenage drinking in Australia has emerged but it seems older people are drinking more.

    A Deakin University study found that the proportion of adolescents reporting past month alcohol use fell from 45% in 1999 to 25% in 2015.

    Despite a decline in underage alcohol use, there is no evidence of a decline for older Australians. Research shows drinking rates are stable or slightly increasing for people over 30.

    Also for the first time in 2016, women in their fifties were more likely to drink at long term risky levels than younger women.  See more at https://theconversation.com/young-australians-are-drinking-less-but-older-people-are-still-hitting-the-bottle-hard-90024

     

  • Anti-Anxiety Drug May Reverse Alcohol Effects on Brain

    Researchers at the Queensland University of Technology have found that an anti-anxiety drug has the ability to reverse the negative effects of alcohol on our brains.

    Researchers were able to reverse the effects of 15 weeks of binge-like alcohol consumption in 2 weeks. The drug was effective in treating the anxiety-like behaviours associated with withdrawal symptoms.

    Watch the video below to learn more,

  • Watch What Happens when mix Beer Drinkers and Spicy Beer

    Beer drinkers, especially beer lovers can be snobs when it comes to their ale, unwilling to try anything that strays from the conventional but in this BuzzFeed video we watch as beer lovers take the plunge and try spicy beer for the first time. Let’s see if it’s a hit or miss?

     

  • One in Six Perth Drivers Breach Alcohol Interlock Conditions

    According to a recent article on Perth Now, one in six drink drivers who are forced to install an alcohol interlock device in their vehicles to get behind the wheel, is breaching their restricted licence.

    Since the new laws became effective in October last year, 118 interlock restricted licences has been issued.

    Figures showed that in the first year, 86 people had breath-testing immobilisers installed in their own vehicles as their own cost of about $1600, but in that period 19 breaches were recorded.

    The scheme may soon be introduced in Victoria, with Road Safety Minister Michelle Roberts signaling an interest in an interlock model. Source: https://www.perthnow.com.au

  • Drinking Behaviour of Australians Continues To Improve

    The drinking habits of Australians continues to improve, proof that Responsible Service of Alcohol efforts are working.

    A comprehensive study conducted by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare at the end of 2016, looked into the drinking habits of 24,000 Australians, revealing that as a nation our alcohol consumption is steadily declining.

    More and more Australians, and 80 per cent of underage drinkers are now abstaining from alcohol.

    The survey also showed that the rate of drinking among pregnant women is also on the decline.

    More than 80 per cent of Australian drinkers drink within government within government risk guidelines. Read more at https://www.theshout.com.au/77895-2/