Binge Drinking & Alcohol Abuse
2.3 million Australians had their first alcoholic sip or drink aged 10 or under
View or download a free copy of the Binge Drinking & Alcohol Abuse booklet
Latest research shows lack of awareness
New research released by The Salvation Army reveals 2.3 million Australians had their first alcoholic sip or drink when they were just 10 years of age or under.
Research also revealed that 12.1 million Australians are not aware of the new national guidelines on alcohol which indicate that for 15 to 17 year olds, the safest option is to delay the initiation of drinking for as long as possible.
The Salvos’ 2009 Alcohol Awareness campaign is designed to educate people about this research which shows the earlier a person starts drinking, the more likely it is they will have problems with alcohol in later life. The campaign also highlights that whilst many people believe giving teenagers alcohol on a limited basis is a good thing, it can be risky.
- View the Alcohol Awareness Week Media Release
- View the 2009 Roy Morgan Alcohol Awareness Study 2009
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- Read the media release detailing the Roy Morgan research
- View or download a free copy of the Binge Drinking & Alcohol Abuse booklet
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The Facts
The Salvation Army in Australia has produced a booklet entitled The Facts: Binge Drinking & Alcohol Abuse to help educate people on the dangers of alcohol.
The research
Following the release of new government guidelines on the consumption of alcohol, Roy Morgan Research was commissioned by the Salvation Army to conduct its annual research into alcohol awareness amongst the Australian community.
The results from this latest study suggest that the awareness of the consequences of underage drinking, as set out in government guidelines, is low amongst Australians and in particular, young people.
Highlights of the report:
- 1.7 million Australians believe it is safe to give someone 12 or under an occasional sip of alcohol.
- 5 million Australians believe it is safe for someone 15 years or under to be given occasional sips of alcohol.
- 7 million Australians had their first alcoholic sip or drink in their home.
- 8.8 million Australians had their first alcoholic sip or drink when they were with their family.
- 7.8 million Australians suggested they should have their first drink or sip of alcohol themselves; 2.9 million said parents suggested it.
Roy Morgan concluded that there is a lack of awareness of the government guidelines on the consumption of alcohol and the consequences of underage drinking.
View the 2009 Roy Morgan Alcohol Awareness Study 2009 PDF
Other relevant reports and studies
- Age of onset of drinking and the use of alcohol in adulthood: a follow-up study from age 8–42 for females and males PDF
- Age at First Drink and the First Incidence of Adult-Onset PDF
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre
- NSW Health
- Western Australia Government - Drug and Alcohol Office
- Federal Government
- Reach Out
- ARBIAS
- The Drug Prevention Network
The response
Gerard Byrne from The Salvation Army said, “We want to highlight that the vast majority of Australians do not have issues with alcohol. Our concern is the message that teenagers shouldn’t be drinking isn’t getting through and these new guidelines clearly have very low awareness in the community. Notwithstanding recent publicity about this issue, we need an ongoing public awareness campaign around the new guidelines. The national guidelines say drinking contributes to the three leading causes of adolescent death – suicide, homicide and unintentional injury.”
“We see some remarkable situations in our treatment programs. People with alcohol dependency nearly always started drinking alcohol earlier than 18 and in many cases people we see in rehab say they started drinking at 8 or 10 years old.”
“We applaud the National Health and Medical Research Council for highlighting that the safest option for 15-17 year olds is to delay the initiation of drinking for as long as possible. What deeply worries us is that the brain is still developing until your early 20s so damage can easily be done through drinking. Some research from the Australian Drug Foundation says even if an adolescent stops drinking as an adult, it may be too late to reverse damage if they’ve had heavy exposure to alcohol. We’re certainly concerned about the way alcohol is glamorised and the fact that alcohol is still at the centre of so many activities socially.”