This report is based on nation-wide polling on attitudes to alcohol in Australia, alcohol consumption patterns, knowledge of the Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol, experiences of alcohol-related violence, and perspectives on alcohol-related policies. It contains previously unreleased data which is specific to New South Wales (NSW) residents.

Key findings:

The majority (80%) of NSW adults believe that Australia has a problem with excess drinking or alcohol abuse, and 76% believe that alcohol-related problems will remain the same or worsen over the next fi ve to ten years.

The majority of NSW adults (77%) believe that more needs to be done to reduce the harms caused by alcohol-related illness, injury, death and related issues. Most perceive that alcohol companies (72%), pubs and clubs (63%) and governments (56%) are not doing enough to address these problems.

Almost 1.5 million NSW drinkers (37%) consume alcohol with the intention of getting drunk.

692,000 NSW drinkers (17%) have consumed alcoholic energy drinks.

Almost 1.7 million or 34% of NSW adults have been aff ected by alcohol-related violence.

Over one quarter of NSW adults (29%) believe that there are too many alcohol outlets in their area.

NSW drinkers are more likely than Australian drinkers as a whole to consume alcohol in licensed venues (31% compared to 24%).