Did you know?
Alcohol is the most commonly used drug in Australia.
Alcohol misuse is often a complex functional issue. There are usually reasons behind a person's use, for example, trauma, depression or stress. Addressing the alcohol use in isolation is therefore often ineffective. Alcohol use is best understood in the broader context of the lives of people who use it.
Here are links to some useful websites
- Alcohol Think Again
- The Australian Drug Foundation
- The Other Talk
- Australian Government Department of Health
- Better Health Channel Victoria
- Beyond Blue – Alcohol and Drugs
- Drug Education Network
- McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth
- Mental health first aid – helping someone with alcohol use problems. Mental health first aid guidelines.
- Reach Out
Harm minimisation is the National framework for managing and dealing with alcohol and other drugs across Australia. The framework has been around for many years and has proven to be both effective and appropriate when working with young people who use alcohol. This concept is based on reducing the supply, or availability, of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs; reducing demand through prevention, early intervention and treatment; and reducing the harms associated with the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs through treatment and other interventions.
Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol
The following table provides a summary of the most current Australian guidelines for reducing health risks from drinking alcohol. For more detailed information refer to: http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/health-topics/alcohol-guidelines.
Guideline 1: Reducing the risk of alcohol-related harm over a lifetime
For healthy men and women, drinking no more than two standard drinks on any day reduces the lifetime risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury.
Guideline 2: Reducing the risk of injury on a single occasion of drinking
For healthy men and women, drinking no more than four standard drinks on a single occasion reduces the risk of alcohol-related injury arising from that occasion.
Guideline 3: Children and young people under 18 years of age
For children and young people under 18 years of age, not drinking alcohol is the safest option.
A. Parents and carers should be advised that children under 15 years of age are at the greatest risk of harm from drinking and that for this age group, not drinking alcohol is especially important
B. For young people aged 15−17 years, the safest option is to delay the initiation of drinking for as long as possible.
Guideline 4: Pregnancy and breastfeeding
A. For women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, not drinking is the safest option.
B. For women who are breastfeeding, not drinking is the safest option.
(Adapted from National Health & Medical Research Council (2009). Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol. Australian Government: Canberra.