Alcohol’s harm to others in Australia

Typically, when we think about the harms associated with alcohol we tend to think about the impact on people who drink.

But what about the impact on those around them?

Almost half of Australian adults experience harm from other people’s drinking, according to new data released in Australia this week.¹

The La Trobe University research: ‘Alcohol’s harm to others in 2021: who bears the burden?’ has just been published in Wiley’s respected Addiction Journal.

The research asked questions about people’s experiences of alcohol harm from others.

‘Harm’ includes things in the community like littering and noise, as well as being negatively affected at a social event or having to take care of the person drinking.

It also includes serious harms such as violence, abuse, threats, property damage or assault.^{2, 3}

Participants were asked about harms they’d experienced from the drinking of people they knew, as well as by strangers.

In 2016, the cost of alcohol use to those around the person drinking and the agencies responding to harm was estimated at around $19.8 billion in Australia.⁴

While alcohol research often focuses on harms to the people who drink, this survey looked at alcohol-related harm from the perspective of other people to understand how alcohol impacts the whole community.¹

What did the research find?

Twenty-one per cent of adults were negatively affected by the drinking of someone they knew, and 23% by a stranger’s drinking.

Seven and a half per cent said they were harmed a lot, with the majority harmed from drinking by people they knew.

Women were significantly more likely than men to experience harm from drinking by people they lived with, family members or partners.

Young adults, aged 18-34 years, were also more likely to experience alcohol harm from others.

Younger men born overseas from English-speaking countries who drank at risky levels and were not currently working, were more likely to report being affected by other’s drinking.

And, those who drank heavily were also more likely to experience alcohol-related harm from others.¹

Reducing harm

If you or someone close to you needs help and support in relation to alcohol, help is available.

The Alcohol and Drug Foundation’s Path2Help tool is designed to help family and friends of people who use alcohol or other drugs get access to local support services early.

You’ll also find information to help you have conversations about alcohol and other drugs, manage conflict, find support and treatment, and more.

Path2Help is free and confidential. Try it today. Visit Path2Help

For facts about alcohol and other drugs, advice on how to support a loved one, and to get connected with relevant services in your state and territory you can also email DrugInfo

We know that increased availability of alcohol is associated with higher rates of harm.^{5, 6}

And more can be done to reduce the harm from alcohol experienced by people who drink and those around them, especially by policy makers.

There are several proven ways to reduce alcohol-related harm, including:

• Implementing Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP): This sets the minimum price a ‘unit’ (standard drink) of alcohol can be sold for and, in turn, it reduces high-risk drinking of cheaper alcohol products. Since MUP was introduced in the NT in 2018, there has been significant reductions in alcohol-related harms, including:
• road crashes causing injury or fatality
• assaults
• ambulance attendances
• emergency department presentations
• number of intoxicated people being taken into custody by police
• number of child protection notifications, protection orders, and out-of-home care cases.^{7, 8}

There’s also no evidence that MUP has negatively impacted NT industry, tourism or economy.⁸

• Limiting online alcohol delivery. The accessibility of alcohol delivered to the home increases the risk of alcohol-related harm. Proper ID checks are also often not completed, and a Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) is not required, meaning people under 18 may be getting access. To reduce the risks associated with online delivery it’s recommended:
• a minimum 2-hour delay between purchase and delivery is implemented
• drivers receive proper RSA training
• no deliveries between 10pm and 10am
• proper ID checks when the purchase is made online, and when the alcohol is delivered to the doorstep.^{9, 10}

Empowering community participation in liquor licensing. Communities can influence decision-making when it comes to liquor license applications. This might involve requesting the licence either not be granted, or only granted with certain conditions. It’s crucial communities are heard when it comes to liquor license decisions, as they witness firsthand the impacts of alcohol in their local areas. To find out more watch our webinar or visit our community page.

Introducing stronger controls on alcohol advertising. The more children and young people see alcohol advertising, the more likely they are to start drinking earlier and drink at risker levels.^{11, 12} The alcohol industry currently regulates alcohol marketing in Australia. But, this industry-led system is ineffective and isn’t protecting people’s health.¹³ Higher standards for how the alcohol industry markets and sells its products are needed. Alcohol ads are wide spread on TV and print, as well as on social media where alcohol companies post 40,000 ads per year.¹⁴

To find out more about alcohol industry tactics, read our Insight on public health vs ‘Big Alcohol’ profits or alcohol and breast cancer.

Read more evidence articles on this topic in the ADF Library