Many Australians drink some alcohol. Excessive alcohol consumption is a major cause of road and other accidents, violence, crime, liver injury and brain damage. Even drinking small amounts of alcohol increases your cancer risk.

According to the National Drug Household Survey in 2019:

• About 1 in 5 alcohol drinkers aged 14 or older had put themselves or others at risk of injury or harm while drinking in the previous 12 months.
• Over 1 in 5 Australians aged 14 or older had been a victim of an alcohol related incident in 2019. This included many types of abuse, including verbal or physical abuse.
• Adults aged 18-24 were more likely to binge drink than the rest of the population. Men were more likely to binge drink than women.

1 in 4 people drink at a risky level on a single occasion at least once a month. (More than 4 standard drinks on a single occasion.)

Follow the links below to find trusted information about the health effects of alcohol use and injuries resulting from alcohol use.