Problem Alcohol Use in Young Australian Adults

Abstract

Objective: To examine the extent to which excessive drinking in young adults is associated with alcohol abuse and dependence. Method: Cross-sectional analyses were conducted using data from the eighth wave of the Victorian Adolescent Health Cohort Study, which comprised 1943 Victorians currently aged 24–25 years drawn from 44 secondary schools across the state in 1992. The main outcome measures of interest were short-term risk drinking status (based on daily alcohol consumption) and long-term risk drinking status (based on total weekly alcohol consumption). Results: Two out of 5 participants drank at moderate to high risk levels for short-term harm. Yet, because young people tend to drink on only 1–2 days a week, fewer (22%) were at moderate to high risk for long-term harm. Although 20% of the participants met criteria for a diagnosis of alcohol abuse or dependence, most of those in the moderate- to high-risk drinking categories were not diagnosed with either alcohol disorder. Conclusion: Excessive alcohol use in one or two sessions a week appears to be common in young Australian adults. While short- and long-term risky drinking is more common in those with an alcohol use disorder, the majority of moderate- and high-risk drinking is done by those who do not meet criteria for an alcohol use disorder.