Albany Creek ranks among Brisbane’s heaviest drinkers, consuming more than two standard drinks per day, new data reveals. This comes as the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) revises its Alcohol Guidelines to reduce the risks of alcohol-related diseases and injuries.
Some of Brisbane’s heaviest drinkers live in Albany Creek, the latest national Social Health Atlas data shows. That’s 20.9 percent of residents, where consumption of alcoholic drinks is more than two standard drinks per day or an equivalent of 14 standard drinks per week.
That weekly standard drinks consumption is now above the recommended levels, according to the proposed new Alcohol Guidelines. The National Health and Medical Research Council is currently in the process of revising its Alcohol Guidelines to reduce the risk of alcohol-related disease, injury and other harms to health, as well as reduce the risk of harm to a pregnant woman’s unborn child.
The proposed guidelines include suggested drinking of no more than 10 standard drinks per week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any one day, which according to evidence and mathematical modelling keeps the lifetime risk of dying from alcohol-related disease or injury remains below a level of 1 in 100.
“We’re not telling Australians how much to drink. We’re providing advice about the health risks from drinking alcohol so that we can all make informed decisions in our daily lives. This advice has been developed over the past three years using the best health evidence available,” Professor Anne Kelso, CEO of the National Health and Medical Research Council said.
The top Brisbane suburbs where residents drink more than two standard drinks per day include Brisbane Port – Lytton/ Wynnum ( 23%), Victoria Point (22.6%), New Farm (22.3%), Wellington Point (22.2%), Ashgrove/ Bardon (21.9%), Cleveland/ Ormiston ( 21.8%), Paddington – Milton/ Red Hill (Qld) (21.6%), Albany Creek/ Eatons Hill (20.9%), Belmont – Gumdale/ Birkdale/ Thorneside (20.9%), Redland Islands (20.3%).
According to the Australian Department of Health, excessive alcohol drinking could put one at risk of illnesses including heart disease, liver disease, cancer, diabetes and damage to the brain.
Public consultation on the draft guidelines concluded last February 2020 and will undergo expert review before it is finalised by the third quarter of 2020.
