How is alcohol regulated and consumed in Australia?
Alcohol legislation includes age laws on consumption and purchase, secondary supply laws and restrictions on alcohol consumption in certain public areas.
Australians expect you to 'Bring your own' (BYO) liquor when attending a house event, but in venues a culture of shouting drinks is common. They advise that healthy individuals should drink no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than four standard drinks on any one day. In Australia, a standard drink contains 10 grams of pure alcohol. This is roughly equivalent to a 285ml glass of full-strength beer, a 100ml glass of wine, or a 30ml shot of spirits. It's important to remember that many alcoholic beverages contain more than one standard drink.
Every person has a different relationship to alcohol. Some choose to abstain altogether or drink less than their peers opting for non-alcoholic alternatives and drinks like mocktails. Credit:'Healthy adults who drink according to these guidelines have less than a one in a hundred chance of dying from a disease or injury caused by alcohol. 'But not zero risk,' Kristie Cocotis, Health Programs Director atthe Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education, FARE, explains.
Drinking less alcohol or not at all is a positive health decision that you can make. Kristie Cocotis But Ms Cocotis says that in a national poll conducted by FARE , 44 per cent of Australians interviewed stated they want to drink less or stop drinking altogether. 'Nearly 6,000 people lose their lives every year and more than 144,000 people are hospitalised for alcohol use,' Ms Cocotis highlights some of the numbers revealed for the year 2023–24.
'And we know alcohol use is causally linked to more than seven different types of cancers and more than 200 disease and injury conditions.'
Alcohol is a teratogen, which means it can interrupt the normal development of an unborn baby. There's no safe amount of alcohol or safe time to drink during pregnancy. Credit:When and how do Australians drink alcohol? Latest ABS statistics reveal that one in four adults in Australia exceeds the official guideline on alcohol consumption. Amy Pennay is a Senior Research Fellow and the Deputy Director of the Centre for Alcohol Policy Research at La Trobe University. She says Australia is often referred to as a 'dry culture' in alcohol and drug research.
Unlike 'wet cultures,' where alcohol is more readily available and typically consumed in smaller amounts more frequently, a dry culture is characterised by less frequent drinking—but in larger quantities when it does occur.
It's typical for alcohol to be present at home barbeques, unless the host has specified it is an alcohol-free event. Source: Moment RF /Certain social occasions are associated with alcohol consumption. 'These might revolve around religious holidays and where you get periods of time off and especially in the summer, and around New Year's. Australia Day and Anzac Day are also big drinking days,' Dr Pennay explains. Sports watching is also linked to heavy drinking, she adds.
'When watching Australian rules football, cricket or the national rugby, alcohol is very much associated with attending those but also watching at home.'
Alcohol etiquette If you're new to Australia, there are a few alcohol etiquette tips to keep in mind.
One is BYO, which stands for 'Bring Your Own' alcohol—common at picnics or home gatherings. Another is the Aussie custom of buying someone a drink at a bar or pub, often called 'shouting' a round.
Unless they explicitly said all alcohol is provided, typically if you're invited to someone's house for a BBQ, a picnic, you would bring your own alcohol. Dr Amy Pennay
'On the other hand, we have a very strong culture of shouting in licensed venues. So, if I were to go to a restaurant or a bar with my girlfriends, we would take it in turns to go to the bar and buy all the drinks for the group.'
If you're invited to someone's home for an event, you are expected to bring your alcoholic beverage of choice if you're planning to drink. Credit: Jupiterimages/Getty Images Alcohol age laws and restrictions In Australia, the legal age for buying or drinking alcohol in a licensed venue, like a bar, is 18. Alcohol is not available in convenience stores or vending machines. It can only be purchased in licensed liquor stores, known colloquially as 'bottle-o' or a bottle shops. Kate Richardson is a senior solicitor at Youth Law Australia . She says young people may be asked for identification (ID) when trying to purchase alcohol. 'They're required to check an ID or evidence of age document to prove that someone's over 18, and then responsible Service of Alcohol certifications or policies will require venues to ask for your ID if you look under 25 years old.' Alcohol age laws are the same across Australia.
But other laws—like those about drinking in public—can vary depending on which state or territory you're in.
You might get asked for ID when purchasing alcohol at a bar or a liquor store. Credit:Your local council may also have rules about where you can drink, like setting up alcohol-free zones. So it's always a good idea to check what applies in your area. 'So, it is really important to check exactly what laws apply where you are,' Ms Richardson says. Secondary supply laws —those that cover giving alcohol to people under 18—also vary across Australia. In some states and territories, only a parent or guardian can legally give alcohol to a minor. In others, someone else can do it too, but only if they have permission from the child's parent or guardian. Even then, there are strict conditions to make sure the alcohol is given in a responsible way.
These include:
The age of the young person
If the person who supplied the alcohol was intoxicated
Whether the young person was consuming food at the time
The quantity and type of alcohol supplied 'It can cause parents and guardians a lot of stress if their child is going to a party at a friend's house and they're worried about whether someone's going to supply alcohol.
'So that's really where these laws come in to say who a responsible adult is. It's not just your friend who's over 18. It does need to be a parent or guardian in most cases, or someone with parental responsibility,' Ms Richardson explains.
It's not legal to supply a minor with alcohol if you are just their friend of adult age. Credit: Anchiy/Getty Images So, when is the right age to consume alcohol? Dr Pennay says research supports delaying the age of onset of alcohol use for young people at least until 18. 'The research evidence clearly shows that the longer you can delay initiation, the less likely it is that the young person will become a heavy drinker." If you or someone you know needs support in relation to their alcohol use, you can call the National 24/7 Alcohol and Other Drugs Hotline on 1800 250 015, a confidential, non-judgemental telephone counselling, information and referral service, free of charge. For crisis support please call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Subscribe to or follow the Australia Explained podcast for more valuable information and tips about settling into your new life in Australia.
Do you have any questions or topic ideas? Send us an email to australiaexplained@sbs.com.au.
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