The stereotypical image of young drunk men injuring themselves on King Street is being overtaken by a quieter epidemic of inebriated men in their 40s and 50s, new research suggests.
Ambulance data for the last financial year shows the highest rate of calls for alcohol intoxication in Melbourne were among men in their 40s and 50s, as opposed to 15-39 year-olds who are more commonly targeted by health campaigns.
There was a similar pattern in regional Victoria, with the highest rate of calls coming from men in their 40s. They were followed by men in their 50s and those aged 15-24. The lowest rate was among men aged 25-39.
Sharon Matthews, a researcher with Turning Point in Victoria, told a conference this week that older drunks were more likely to need an ambulance at home or in a private residence, whereas young people were calling them to public places.
The older men were also more likely to be taken to hospital for further care, possibly because they have more underlying illnesses or are taking medications that have interacted with alcohol.
For women in Melbourne, 15-24 year-olds had the highest rate of calls. They were followed by those in their 40s, 50s and lastly the 25-39 group. In regional areas, the highest rate was among women aged 15-24, followed by those aged 25-39. They were closely followed by women in their 40s and 50s.
The data captured people showing signs of immediate or recent over-ingestion of alcohol and cases where paramedics noted alcohol as the cause for the call.
While the study did not detail what people had drunk or what their injuries were, Ms Matthews said they may have fallen and hit their heads or been unconscious due to alcohol poisoning.
The research comes after the last National Drug Strategy Household Survey revealed a trend towards "very heavy" drinking among Australians in their 40s. In 2013, nine per cent of people in their 40s reported drinking more than 20 drinks on at least one occasion in the previous year. In 2001, it was 6.4 per cent.
Ms Matthews said given younger people tended to be higher users of drug and alcohol treatment services, it was unclear what was driving the trend. She speculated that older people had more disposable money, suffered from higher rates of mental illness, and grew up within a culture of alcohol consumption that made it culturally acceptable to get drunk.
Ms Matthews said health campaigns aiming to reduce harmful drinking should focus more on middle aged and older people, including those who might believe "high quality" wines were not as harmful as other alcoholic drinks.
"It's not about quality, it's about quantity," she said. "I think this affects a wide spectrum of people."
Australia's current alcohol consumption guidelines recommend no more than two standard drinks a day. However, the Turnbull government has begun a review of the guidelines written by the National Health and Medical Research Council.