The measure ‘proportion of people aged 18 years and over who report consumption of no alcohol in the previous 12 months’ includes those who report consuming no alcohol in the previous 12 or more months and those who report having never consumed alcohol.
Alcohol is a known carcinogen for humans, increasing the risk of oral, pharyngeal, laryngeal, oesophageal, liver, colorectal and (female) breast cancers.(1-3) There is also evidence that the risk of developing these cancers increases with higher levels of alcohol consumption (i.e., that there is a dose-response relationship).4, 5 Even small amounts of alcohol can increase cancer risk(2), and the joint effects of alcohol consumption and behavioural risk factors, such as smoking and poor dietary practices, further increase the risk of cancers.1, 2, 6
In 2010, it was estimated that alcohol-attributable cancers were responsible for about 4.2% of all global cancer deaths, and 4.6% of all potential Years-of-Life-Lost.7 It has also been estimated that 3%–6% of all cancer cases in Australia are attributable to consumption of alcohol.6, 8 On this basis, given that the incidence of cancer in 2012 (excluding non-melanoma skin cancers) was 122,093 cases, up to 7,326 cancers could be attributed to the consumption of alcohol.
About this measure
Alcohol consumption – no alcohol consumption: Proportion of people aged 18 years and over who report consuming no alcohol in the previous 12 months (including lifetime abstainers).
Current status
In 2017-18, 20% of Australians aged 18 years and over reported not consuming alcohol in the previous 12 months.9, 10 Adult females (25%) were more likely than adult males (14.5%) to report consuming no alcohol in the previous 12 months.9, 10
The proportion of people who reported consuming no alcohol in the previous12 months was higher among older Australians, with highest proportions reported among people aged 65 years and over.9, 10 The percentage of people aged 75 years and over who reported consuming no alcohol in the previous 2 months was much higher than for younger Australians (33% vs. 19%).
Larger differences were apparent by sex in reporting no alcohol consumption in the previous 12 months among persons aged 25 years and over (females 27% vs. males 14.5%). Similar proportions reported no alcohol consumption between males and females aged 18-24 years.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
In 2018-19, 26% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 years and over reported not consuming alcohol in the previous 12 months (19% among males and 31% among females).11
Similar to the pattern observed among non-Indigenous people, the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who reported consuming no alcohol in the previous 12 months increased with age, peaking at 41.5% among those aged 55 years and over.11
After adjusting for differences in age structure between the two populations, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were 1.4 times more likely than non-Indigenous people to report consuming no alcohol in the previous 12 months (28% compared with 20%).11 The difference was regarded as real (i.e., not due to chance) in males (rate ratio 1.5) and females (rate ratio 1.4).
Marked differences in reporting no alcohol consumption in the previous 12 months were observed among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males aged 35-44 years (20.7%) and those aged 55 years and over (33.6%) who reported consuming no alcohol in the previous 12 months compared with their non-Indigenous counterparts (14.4% and 17.2%, respectively).11 Among females, nearly half of those aged 55 years and over (48.9%) reported not consuming alcohol in the previous 12 months compared with approximately one quarter (28.9%) of non-Indigenous females. Proportions were also higher among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander females within age groups of 18-24 years than for non-Indigenous counterparts (23.6% vs. 16.7%), but not for males in this age group (16% compared to 15.6% respectively). For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander females aged 45-34 years, less than one-third reported no alcohol consumption (30%) compared with one-fifth reported amongst non-Indigenous females (21%), and for Indigenous males within same age groups of 45-54, 20% vs 13% respectively).
Remoteness and socioeconomic disadvantage
The percentage of people living in the most disadvantaged areas in Australia reporting no alcohol consumption in the previous 12 months was about twice that for people living in the least disadvantaged areas (31% compared with 15%); however, among adults living in the most disadvantaged areas, higher proportions of males and females (24% of males and 38% of females) reported consuming no alcohol in the previous 12 months compared with a corresponding 10.5% of males and 20% of females living in the least disadvantaged areas.12
Regionally, the proportion of people reporting consuming no alcohol in the previous 12 months was similar, irrespective of differences in remoteness.10
Trends
The proportion of adults who reported consuming no alcohol in the previous 12 months increased between 2001 and 2017-18 (from 17% to 20%).12, 13
During this period, these proportions increased among people aged 18-24 years (from 9% to 14% for males and from 10% to 17% for females). Proportions also decreased among people aged 55-64 years (from 17% to 14% for males and from 30% to 24% for females) but with few exceptions, remained relatively stable among other age groups for both males and females.
From 2007-08 to 2017-18, the proportion of adults who reported consuming no alcohol in the previous 12 months increased (from 16% to 20%).9, 13-15 The corresponding proportions among people aged 25-34 years (from 13% to 20%) and those aged 35-44 years (from 14% to 20.5%), while little corresponding change was observed for other age groups. Among males, corresponding proportions increased for those aged 35-44 years (from 10% to 14%). Among females, corresponding proportions increased for the age range of 25-34 years (from 16 to 26%) and for those aged 35-44 years (from 18% to 26%).
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
In 2004-05, 24% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 years and over reported consuming no alcohol in the previous 12 months (18% of males and 30% of females). In 2012-13, 23% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 years and over reported consuming no alcohol in the previous 12 months.11, 16
In 2018-19, 26% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples aged 18 years and over reported consuming no alcohol in the previous 12 months (19% of males and 31% of females).
In 2004-05, 15% of non-Indigenous Australian adults reported consuming no alcohol in the previous 12 months (11% for males and 20% for females). In 2011-12, 16.5% of non-Indigenous Australians reported consuming no alcohol in the previous 12 months (12% for males and 21% for females).
After adjusting for differences in age structure between the two populations, 28% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and 20% of non-Indigenous people reported consuming no alcohol in the previous 12 months in 2017-19.
Remoteness and socio-economic disadvantage
Between 2014-15 and 2017-18, the proportion of people reporting consuming no alcohol in the previous 12 months remained unchanged across different areas of remoteness and levels of socioeconomic disadvantage.10, 17
About the data
This measure shows the proportions of people aged 18 years and over who reported consuming no alcohol in the previous 12 months (including those reporting that they never consumed alcohol).
Numerator: Number of persons who reported consuming no alcohol in the previous 12 months (including those reporting that they never consumed alcohol).
Denominator: Number of persons aged 18 years and over.
Data sources
- ABS 2001, 2004-05, 2007-08, 2011-12, 2014-15 and 2017-18 National Health Survey.
- ABS 2004-05, 2012-13 and 2018-19 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey.
Data caveats
Published NHS data for 2011-12, 2014-15 and 2017-18 NHS, and microdata for 2011-12 have been randomly adjusted to avoid the release of confidential data. Discrepancies may occur between sums of the component items and totals.
2017-18 Indigenous data were sourced from the 2017-2018 National Health Survey, whereas previously reported data for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander alcohol consumption were sourced from the ABS National Health Survey and National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Surveys. This should be taken into consideration when making comparisons between 2017-18 and previous years data.
References
Data
Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2018. 4364.00.55.001 – National Health Survey, 2017-18: Accessed November 2021; http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/PrimaryMainFeatures/4364.0.55.001?OpenDocument
Policy
National Health and Medical Research Council. 2020. Alcohol guidelines: reducing the health risks. NHMRC: Canberra. https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/about-us/publications/australian-guidelines-reduce-health-risks-drinking-alcohol
National Alcohol Strategy 2016-2021. http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/health-pubhlth-strateg-drugs-alcohol-index.htm
References
1. International Agency for Research on Cancer. Personal Habits and Indoor Combustions. IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Lyon: IARC; 2012.
2. Cancer Australia. Lifestyle risk factors and the primary prevention of cancer. Sydney: Cancer Australia; 2015 [cited 2016 September 02]; Available from: http://canceraustralia.gov.au/publications-and-resources/position-statements/lifestyle-risk-factors-and-primary-prevention-cancer
3. World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research. Food, nutrition, physical activity, and the prevention of cancer: a global perspective. Washington, DC: American Institute for Cancer Research; 2007.
4. Bagnardi V, Rota M, Botteri E, Tramacere I, Islami F, Fedirko V, et al. Alcohol consumption and site-specific cancer risk: a comprehensive dose-response meta-analysis. British journal of cancer. 2015;112(3):580-93. Epub 2014/11/26.
5. Schutze M, Boeing H, Pischon T, Rehm J, Kehoe T, Gmel G, et al. Alcohol attributable burden of incidence of cancer in eight European countries based on results from prospective cohort study. Bmj. 2011;342:d1584. Epub 2011/04/09.
6. Pandeya N, Wilson LF, Webb PM, Neale RE, Bain CJ, Whiteman DC. Cancers in Australia in 2010 attributable to the consumption of alcohol. Australian and New Zealand journal of public health. 2015;39(5):408-13. Epub 2015/10/07.
7. Rehm K, Shield KD. Alcohol and mortality: Global alcohol-attributable deaths from cancer, liver cirrhosis, and injury in 2010. Alcohol Research: Current Reviews. 2013;35(2):174-83.
8. Winstanley MH, Pratt IS, Chapman K, Griffin HJ, Croager EJ, Olver IN, et al. Alcohol and cancer: a position statement from Cancer Council Australia. The Medical journal of Australia. 2011;194(9):479-82. Epub 2011/05/04.
9. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 4364.0.55.001 - National Health Survey: First Results, 2014-15. Canberra: ABS; 2015 [cited 2016 September 27]; Available from: http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/PrimaryMainFeatures/4364.0.55.001?OpenDocument
10. 4324.0.55.001 - Microdata: National Health Survey, 2014-15 [database on the Internet]. ABS. 2016 [cited 27 September 2016].
11. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 4727.0.55.001 – Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey: First Results, Australia, 2012-13. Canberra: ABS; 2013 [cited 2016 September 02]; Available from: http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4727.0.55.001main+features12012-13
12. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 4364.0 - National Health Survey: Summary of Results, 2001. Canberra: ABS; 2002 [cited 2016 September 02]; Available from: http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4364.0Main+Features12001
13. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 4364.0 - National Health Survey: Summary of Results, 2004-05. Canberra: ABS; 2006; Available from: http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4364.0Main+Features12004-05
14. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 4362.0 - National Health Survey: Summary of Results, 2007-2008 (Reissue) Canberra: ABS; 2009 [cited 2016 September 02]; Available from: http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/4364.0History%20of%20Changes02007-2008%20(Reissue)?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=4364.0&issue=2007-2008%20(Reissue)&num=&view=
15. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 4364.0.55.001 - Australian Health Survey: First Results, 2011-12. Canberra: ABS; 2012; Available from: http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4364.0.55.001main+features12011-12
16. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 4715.0 - National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey, 2004-05. Canberra: ABS; 2006; Available from: http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4715.0
17. 4324.0.55.001 - Microdata: Australian Health Survey, National Health Survey, 2011-12 [database on the Internet]. ABS. 2013 [cited 27 September 2016].