Monday, 11 February 2019

Health-conscious Australians cut back on alcohol

It sounds downright unAustralian, but people from the land down under are drinking less alcohol than before. 

A new report from the Roy Morgan organisation highlighted a gradual decline in the percentage of the Australian population aged 18 and over who consume at least one type of alcoholic drink over an average four-week period.

Roy Morgan’s Alcohol Consumption Currency Report September 2018 showed that 67.9% of adult Australians had at least one drink in an average four week period, compared to 70.1% in 2013, The Shout reported.

The report also detailed the type and volume of alcohol drunk and showed declines over the four-week period for all major categories of alcoholic drinks, except for cider (below), which recorded growth.

Wine is consumed by 43.3% of the 18+ Australian population over an average four-week period, ahead of beer with 38.4% and spirits on 26.7%. 

Cider is now consumed by 12.3 per cent which has increased from 10.3% five years ago. The incidence of cider drinkings is now ahead of RTDs (11.4%), liqueurs (7.2%) and fortified wine (5.2%). 

Over the last five years the biggest decline was for wine (down 1.3%), followed by RTDs (down 0.9%) and liqueurs (down 0.8%). 

Michele Levine, Chief Executive Officer for Roy Morgan, said: “There is a gradual social change in Australia over the last five years in terms of a declining incidence of alcohol consumption. This is evident by the fact that five years ago 70.1% of Australians 18 and over consumed an alcoholic drink over an average four-week period; this has now declined to 67.9% currently. 

"The potential reasons for this decline are likely to be as a result of switching to healthier options, cost, social issues involved such as drink driving and alternative drug taking."

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