Alcohol large part of life for Aussie men
14 June 2011
More than half of Australian males from as young as 14 years are drinking alcohol either daily or weekly, an Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report says.
In 2007, 58 per cent of men surveyed were consuming alcohol either daily or weekly, with males aged 20-29 years most likely to be weekly drinkers and those over 60 most likely to drink alcohol daily, the report, The health of Australia’s males, found.
Six per cent of the men surveyed drank alcohol at levels placing them at risk, and 4 per cent at high risk, said the report, released during National Men's Health Week (13-19 June).
Meanwhile, the national depression initiative beyondblue is warning that too many men think it’s helpful to take their mates to the pub if they're depressed.
A random telephone survey of 300 men across Australia, commissioned by beyondblue, found more than one in 5 men thought it would be helpful "to take the person out to the pub to help him forget his worries".
The survey found a third of men aged 18-34, and 23 per cent of men aged 35-54, said they had "drunk alcohol to help them go out".
Associate Professor Michael Baigent, beyondblue’s clinical adviser, and AMA president Dr Steve Hambleton are each independently encouraging men to seek help from GPs to take a healthier approach to alcohol.
"Men must be aware of the health risks of excess alcohol consumption and to know when they have had enough when out socialising and even when drinking at home," Dr Hambleton said.
Last Reviewed: 14 June 2011
- 1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. The health of Australia's males. Cat. no. PHE 141. Canberra: AIHW, 2011. http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=10737419204&libID=10737419203 (accessed Jun 2011).
2. beyondblue. Survey: Men think drinking will ease depression and anxiety (14 Jun 2011). beyondblue: the national depression initiative. http://www.beyondblue.org.au/index.aspx?link_id=4.1127 (accessed Jun 2011).
