The survey of 21,000 people found that 77 percent of Australians had consumed at least one alcoholic drink in the last year. Additionally, more than one in four women in Australia drink alcohol while they are pregnant according to a new national drug strategy household survey.
The study revealed that 28 percent of women who had been pregnant in the 12 months preceding the study drank alcohol while pregnant. However, the authors noted a long-term decline in alcohol consumption during pregnancy, with 42 percent of Australian women drinking alcohol while pregnant back in 2013.
The survey also found that almost two in three Australians drank alcohol unknowingly while they were pregnant. Women were less likely to consume alcohol once they knew they were pregnant, with only 14.9 percent admitting to still consuming alcohol after finding out they were expecting a baby.
The authors highlighted the adverse impacts of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs on unborn children, including lower birth weights, miscarriage, and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). They emphasized that pregnant women should not drink alcohol to prevent harm to their unborn child and that not drinking alcohol while breastfeeding is safest for the baby.
In addition to alcohol consumption during pregnancy, the study also revealed that 77 percent of Australians had consumed alcohol in the past year. One in three Australians were found to be drinking in a way that put their health at risk in 2022 and 2023, similar to the results from 2019. Men were more likely to drink at risky levels than women, but the study showed a decrease in risky drinking among both genders since 2007.
The authors noted that historically, alcohol and drug use has been higher among males than females, but the gender gap is closing, especially among young Australians aged 18 to 24. Alcohol remains the most common drug in Australia, with the use of alcohol, e-cigarettes, and illicit drugs all on the rise among young women.