Alcohol's harm to others: Effects upon our social scaffolding

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Laslett, Anne-Marie
Room, Robin
Jiang, Heng
Anderson-Luxford, Dan
Willoughby, Bree
Kuntsche, Sandra
Egerton-Warburton, Diana
Doran, Chris
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2022
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Darwin, Australia

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Abstract

Introduction and Aims: Alcohol's harm to others (AHTO) has become a key driver of national and international alcohol policy. The 2008 AHTO Australian survey found over 70% of respondents reported harm in the previous year. We aimed to produce a comprehensive new estimate for 2021, identify correlates of AHTO and study changes in AHTO over this time.

Design and Methods: Using weighted data on combined national samples from random digitally dialled Australian mobiles (n = 1,000) and the Life in Australia panel survey (n = 1,574), we analysed self-reported harm from the drinking of 2,574 respondents' families, friends and co-workers. Logistic regressions were used to analyse differences in key outcomes from drinkers respondents knew by gender, age and socio-economic status. Confidence intervals around key estimates were used to compare differences in the two national surveys.

Results: In the previous 12 months, 61.6% of the population reported having a heavy drinker in their lives and 22.1% reported being negatively affected by the drinking of one or more people they knew well. Much smaller proportions of respondents reported harm from different categories of drinker than in 2008, for example, from spouses (2.7%), from other household members (1.1%), other relatives (3.0%), friends (4.3%), co-workers (1.4%) and others (2.8%).

Discussions and Conclusions: A lower prevalence of AHTO from drinkers respondents knew was reported in 2021 than in 2008. Reasons behind these changes will be discussed, including methodological and COVID-19 effects. Survey differences over time will be discussed in comparison with those identified in key national response agency data.

Implications for Policy: National estimates of alcohol's harm to others' highlight the externalities of drinking beyond individuals and act as a lever for policy change and services that address the needs of drinkers and their social connections.

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Drug and Alcohol Review

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41

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S1

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Human society

Health sciences

Psychology

Life Sciences & Biomedicine

Science & Technology

Substance Abuse

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Laslett, A-M; Room, R; Jiang, H; Anderson-Luxford, D; Willoughby, B; Kuntsche, S; Egerton-Warburton, D; Doran, C, Alcohol's harm to others: Effects upon our social scaffolding, Drug and Alcohol Review, 2022, 41 (S1), pp. S6-S6