Alcohol’s harm to others in Australia

When we think about alcohol-related harms, we often focus on people who drink.

But what about the impact on those around them?

Almost half of Australian adults experienced harm from other peoples’ drinking in 2021, according to research done by Latrobe University.¹

These can be serious harms, such as violence, abuse, threats, property damage or assault. But they can also include things like littering and noise, or being impacted by someone else's drinking at an event.^{2, 3}

Here, we explore the impact of alcohol on others, and some of the approaches that can reduce these harms.

Impacts across the community

Family, domestic, sexual and gender-based violence

Violence can happen whether alcohol is involved or not.

But we know there’s a link between alcohol and family violence, and that drinking can play an exacerbating role.^{1, 4}

In 2021, alcohol was involved in almost half of all family and domestic violence incidents reported to police. And women were more likely than men to be harmed by the drinking of a partner, family member or someone they lived with.¹

Other family members can also be impacted, including parents, siblings and children.¹

Alcohol was also involved in 1 in 4 ambulance attendances related to domestic violence in Victoria from 2016-18.⁴

Women across Australia are increasingly experiencing harm from other people’s drinking. Between 2019 and 2022-23, rates of verbal abuse, physical abuse and being put in fear increased among women. For men, rates generally remained the same or decreased.

Support is available for people impacted by family, domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. 1800RESPECT provides free, confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Violence and aggression in public places

Alcohol-related harm can also happen in public places, including streets, licensed venues, public transport and events.

In 2021, 42% of Australian adults experienced alcohol-related harm from a stranger, such as feeling unsafe, being threatened, or being affected by someone else’s behaviour.¹

And we know harms are more common in areas with lots of bars, pubs and clubs that serve alcohol.^{5, 6} In 2025, licensed venues in New South Wales had the highest number of non-domestic alcohol-related assaults, compared to residential, business and public transport locations.⁵

Alcohol can also increase the risk of harm to others at major sports events.

People are more likely to drink at risky levels when they’re watching games with friends, or in places where alcohol is served.⁷ And alcohol can also increase the risk of harms, including verbal abuse, threats or physical violence.^8-10

You can read more about this in our article Alcohol and sport – a potent mix.

Impacts on frontline workers

Frontline emergency workers can also be exposed to alcohol-related harms.

In Victoria, alcohol was involved in more than half of incidents where ambulance officers were threatened, abused or assaulted during substance-related callouts.¹¹

These incidents were more common among younger men and most likely to happen on Friday and Saturday nights.¹¹

Among a survey of Emergency Department workers in Australia and New Zealand, almost all staff (97.9%) had experienced verbal aggression from alcohol-affected patients. And 92.7% had experienced physical aggression, with around half reporting they experienced physical violence every week or month.¹²

Policies and approaches that can reduce harm

There are several ways to reduce alcohol’s harm to others across the community. The best approaches focus on changing the environments where alcohol is sold, marketed and consumed.¹³

Alcohol pricing

Policies that change the price of alcohol can reduce drinking levels, and in turn lower alcohol-related harm. This could include raising alcohol taxes or setting a Minimum Unit Price (MUP).¹⁴

MUP sets a minimum price for a standard unit (standard drink) of alcohol sold in bottle shops and other retail outlets. It’s sometimes called a ‘floor price’.¹⁴

This strategy has worked well in a number of countries, with Scotland being a standout.^{14, 15}

Read more in our article Minimum unit pricing.

Alcohol availability

Another way to reduce harm is by restricting alcohol availability, including:

• setting a legal drinking age
• reducing the number of venues that sell alcohol
• restricting hours of sale.^{16, 17}

But online delivery has made alcohol more available than ever, and harms can increase when alcohol is delivered rapidly, especially late at night. Some services also fail to properly check ID or refuse delivery to intoxicated people.^{18, 19}

You can read more about this in our article The rise of online alcohol delivery.

Alcohol marketing

Research shows that alcohol marketing can influence drinking behaviours and increase harm. The more children and young people are exposed to alcohol marketing, the more likely they are to start drinking earlier and at riskier levels.^{20, 21}

Limiting alcohol marketing can reduce this exposure. This could include restrictions on alcohol ads on television and social media, as well as limiting sponsorship in sport or other areas of entertainment.^{21, 22}

Read more about this topic in The problem with alcohol advertising regulation in Australia.

Help and support

Making it easier for people to find information or support also reduces harm. If you’re concerned about your use of alcohol, or are worried about someone else, support is available.

• Call the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015. This phone line can provide free and confidential advice about alcohol and other drugs.
• Search our Help and Support directory to find your preferred support. Just add your location or postcode and filter by service type.
• Contact 1800RESPECT for free, confidential support if you’re affected by family, domestic, sexual or gender-based violence. Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.