Public perceptions about alcohol
In late 2007, Of Substance magazine (a quarterly magazine produced by the Australian National council on Drugs) commissioned Galaxy Research to conduct an online survey of public perceptions about alcohol. A total of 1,054 people took part in the survey: 28.5% of respondents were aged 18-29 years, 37.3% were aged 30-44 years, and 34.2% were aged 45-69 years.
Results indicated that 33% of respondents did not consider alcohol to be a drug; this figure rose to 43% among young people (aged 18-29). Almost half (42%) of the young people surveyed did not know where to seek help for problem drinking. The report also found that 90% of respondents were concerned about underage binge drinking, while 79% were concerned about binge drinking among 18 to 29-year-olds. In light of the results from this survey, the Australian National Council on Drugs called for a 'national discussion on alcohol'.
Sources:
Tinworth, J. 2008, 'Alcohol: What people think', Of Substance, v.6, n.2, pp.10-13, http://www.ofsubstance.org.au/index.html, viewed 7 July 2008.
Galaxy Research 2008, Of Substance Alcohol Survey
http://www.ofsubstance.org.au/of_substance_alcohol_survey.pdf, viewed 3 July 2008.
http://www.ofsubstance.org.au/of_substance_alcohol_survey.pdf, viewed 3 July 2008.