More Kiwis Drinking Responsibly But Still Work to Be Done

For immediate release
May 29, 2017

More Kiwis Drinking Responsibly But Still Work to Be Done

New research showing a decline in New Zealanders’ excessive drinking has been welcomed by The Tomorrow Project, an organisation charged with changing Kiwi attitudes to drinking, but more work is needed in educating people about what they are drinking.

The latest Global Drug Survey shows heavy drinking – more than 6+ drinks in one go – among Kiwis has dropped from 22.5 per cent in 2006/07 to 19.3 per cent in 2015/16. New Zealanders also sit behind the pack internationally for high level alcohol problems (20.9% of Kiwi men vs 25% of men globally and 14.4% of Kiwi women vs 20.5% of women globally) and are in the lower half for seeking emergency treatment after drinking: 1.03% in the last year compared to a global average of 1.3%.

More than a third of New Zealanders who took the survey also say they want to cut back on their drinking.

“It’s great to see a reduction in heavy drinking but we’ve still got a long way to go towards becoming a nation of responsible drinkers. We still have a culture in New Zealand where it seems to be OK to go overboard,” says Matt Claridge, Chief Executive of the Tomorrow Project.

“Even as they get older, Kiwis consistently feel guilt or regret over their drinking at least once a month according to these new figures and this is a major area of concern. Much of this falls back into the need for better education around what we are drinking – for instance, what makes up a standard drink.

“While one standard drink per hour is what an average person processes, it’s more than likely that they are consuming more – a typical standard pour can be well over a standard drink. By educating Kiwis about what they are drinking, we hope to grow the majority of considered social drinkers and reduce the tendency for people to think it’s OK to drink to excess.”

The Tomorrow Project is an industry-funded organisation committed to helping to create a safe and responsible drinking culture in New Zealand through evidenced-based, targeted interventions that address the reasons behind problem drinking.

ENDS

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