Over the Limit
You would think we would have a pretty good idea how much booze Kiwis are drinking. You would be wrong. Whether it is a mild hangover, a booze blackout, or full-blown addiction, most Kiwis know all too well the harm alcohol can cause. takes a close look
One in five. Twenty per cent. It is an innocuous sort of a figure. But next time you are in a crowd of people (and without appearing too creepy) take a look at every fifth adult and you can assume they drink alcohol to such an extent that they pose a danger to themselves or those around them.
Hard to believe, isn’t it? The truth is, this is very likely a conservative estimate.
The problem is, we have a rough idea of how much we drink as a nation but we don’t really know what people are drinking or why.
And until we study that properly we will struggle to tackle our alcohol problems, experts say.
Massey University senior health sciences lecturer Dr Andy Towers said there were numerous helpful studies on various aspects of drinking, such as how many people drink hazardously, and the availability of types of alcohol.
But there was no single study that linked the information in a manner that showed what was happening at the community level.
‘‘Instead, you have to look at different studies or data sets from different agencies and try to piece together a narrative,’’ he said.
‘‘There are actually very few studies in New Zealand that ask participants specifically what it is they drink [that is, beer, wine, spirits] and in what type of glass.
‘‘Basically, we need a study focused on alcohol only, which is nationwide, and which tracks families over time.’’
Recently released New Zealand Health Survey data shows that 80.3 per cent of adults drank alcohol in the 2018-19 year, up from the 78.7 per cent the previous year.
One in five adults drank alcohol in a way that could harm themselves or others.
That information was useful, Towers said, but not as useful as the Health Ministry’s Alcohol Use Survey, last run in 2012/13, which gave a far more comprehensive view of our drinking.
‘‘That is more like what we need to do but on a yearly/twoyear basis so we can track trends over time.’’
Alcohol was linked to many serious issues the country
Dr Andy Towers
Massey University senior health sciences lecturer