Many people hear the words Australia Day and if Hottest 100 isn’t the first thing to come to mind, alcohol probably is, and state-wide advocacy group – Act on Alcohol is hoping to reduce the risk this year.
“Australia Day is a big day of drinking in Australia, with a lot of partying, whether it be in celebration or commemoration,” said Dale Cooke, team leader for Act on Alcohol.
“that’s why we have come forward as an advocacy group, to try and educate people on the risks of excessive alcohol consumption so that they can make informed decisions.”
Act on Alcohol is a state-wide advocacy initiative that aims to link individuals and community organisations in a bid to reduce, or eliminate harm received from excessive alcohol consumption.
One particularly alarming study recently published in the Medical Journal of Australia showed that an average of 15.1% of all hospital emergency room visits on Australia Day 2016 were alcohol- related.
“Seven large Australian hospitals reported rates higher than 30% of presentations being due to alcohol consumption,” Ms Cooke said.
“We want people to put things in place so they’re less likely to hurt themselves. We aren’t saying stop drinking, just rethink binge drinking, and consume alcohol safely and responsibly.”
Ms Cooke quickly outlined the six easiest ways for you to make sure you keep safe this Australia Day according to the Act on Alcohol website:
- Make sure you eat before and while you drink alcohol.
- Keep hydrated, and no, this does not mean by drinking more alcohol.
- Stay on dry land. Statistics tell us being drunk and swimming is a recipe for disaster so stay out of the water when drinking.
- Have a dry driver.
- Keep calm and celebrate. Meaning, try to avoid confrontation and hyperactivity.
- Have a place to stay. Arrange to stay over if you have big plans.
Drink responsibly, and enjoy.
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