Research platform, Growth Scope, has delved into Australian drinking habits, with insights showing alcohol consumption is significantly higher than standard guidelines.
In 2020, The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) released a revised version of the Australian guidelines, which includes recommendations that adults drink no more than 10 standard drinks per week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any one day.
The guidelines also contain a commonly used proxy measure of binge drinking – the consumption of five or more standard drinks on one drinking occasion.
Growth Scope undertook research monitoring the alcohol consumption trends of over 55,000 Australian consumption occasions since 2020. During the last 12 months, the data showed that most occasions with alcoholic beverages would be classified as a binge drinking session for Australian adults.
On average, respondents of all ages drank 32 serves of alcohol per month, or 7.6 serves per week. Growth Scope noted the actual figure is likely to be higher in standard drinks, based on conventional serving sizes.
The report also pointed out the different levels of alcohol consumption on certain occasions, with the top 12 situations including:
- Flirting/ Courting (11.4 serves per occasion)
- Drinking sessions (11.3 serves per occasion)
- Music festivals (10.3 serves per occasion)
- Weekends away and camping (9.7 serves per occasion)
- Picnics (9.3 serves per occasion)
- A big night out and before heading out (9.2 serves per occasion)
- Gambling (8.7 serves per occasion)
- Barbecue (7.5 serves per occasion)
- Work related event (7.2 serves per occasion)
- On a date (7.1 serves per occasion)
- Entertainment and complementing physical activity e.g. dancing (6.9 serves per occasion)
- Big celebration (6.2 serves per occasion).
In contrast, the average Australian consumes 3.9 serves per occasion when relaxing at home, or 3.5 serves when eating a main meal.
As the festive season and the warmer months hit Australia, drinking increases. The average number of liquor occasions grows from 7 times to 8 times for the month of October, while 10 per cent more liquor serves are consumed per occasion during December.
Founder and Director of Growth Scope, Andrew Nowicki, said that during the last four-years, springtime is the season for the most frequent alcohol consumption in Australia.
“The trend during the football and racing seasons combined with the festive season is to see an increase in overall alcohol consumption, especially in the sales of beer in springtime, and spirits during the Christmas period,” said Nowicki.
