High cost of cheap alcohol

THE growing problem of heavy drinking among older generations requires tough legislative action that would signal the end of cheap wine forever, says a leading expert on drugs and alcohol.

Drug and alcohol addiction expert Dr Adrian Reynolds has urged governments to look at higher taxes for alcohol and bans on alcohol promotions.

“There should be no cheap wine, no discounting and no cheap drinks to seduce people into drinking more,” said Dr Reynolds, who is president of the Chapter of Addiction Medicine within the Royal Australian College of Physicians.

The call follows recent national data showing alcohol use is increasing dramatically among the over 50s, while decreasing among younger age groups.

Lead author Ann Roche, director of the National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction, says there has been a rise in alcohol misuse among “Baby Boomers”, people born between 1946 and 1964.

New Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show alcohol consumption rose nationally last year by 4.5 per cent, to 189.1 million litres of pure alcohol – equating to 9.7 litres of pure alcohol per person.