Surveying the range and magnitude of alcohol's harm to others in Australia

Abstract

Substantial proportions of Australians are affected by other people's drinking, including that of their families, friends, co-workers and strangers. These harms range in magnitude from noise and fear to physical abuse, sexual coercion and social isolation.

Commentary on Ogeil et al. (2016): Explaining increased alcohol‐related harm and stable per capita consumption in Australia

“…It does so by extracting financial compensation for the societal costs of harmful alcohol use in proportion to the amount that each drinker consumes. It therefore imposes the largest tax on the heaviest drinkers who put their own health at risk and that of non-drinkers via alcohol-related accidents, assaults and neglect of children [10].…”

Can alcohol make you happy? A subjective wellbeing approach

“…It should also be noted that we have focused on the impacts of alcohol on the wellbeing of the drinker, but a full account of the wellbeing impacts of alcohol policies must also consider considerable harms to others (Johansson et al, 2006;Laslett et al, 2010). Rather than trying to meet policymakers' requests for a single number, a better approach may be an evidence-informed narrative as to the possible impacts of alcohol policies on different measures of wellbeing for different groups (as we recommended in (AUTHOR 2012), and as Room (2000) has argued).…”

“…Recent studies have found new ways to value negative wellbeing impacts of alcohol, including wellbeing-related 'harms to others' (Johansson et al, 2006;Laslett et al, 2010), and reduced health-related quality-of-life among people with an alcohol use disorder (Johansson et al, 2006). However, positive wellbeing impacts are barely mentioned.…”

Posttraumatic stress disorder in a therapeutic community for substance use disorders: an evaluation of the influence

“…This cost includes A$13.4 billion attributed to damages done by alcohol consumption, including property damage, time lost or spent acquiring and consuming alcohol, hospital and health costs, child protection costs, and a value on intangible costs, such as time spent in fear, pain, and loss of quality and length of life (Laslett et al, 2011). In Laslett and colleagues' study, 23,356 individuals over the age of 12 were interviewed regarding their experiences with alcohol consumption.…”

“…In that group, 70% were negatively affected (by nuisance, fear, or abuse) by a stranger's drinking, with 30% reporting a negative experience due to the alcohol consumption of someone close to them. Of the sample, 11% stated they were affected by the drinking 'a lot' (the term used in the survey), and the most negatively affected group of individuals was young adults (Laslett et al, 2011). This research was ground-breaking because it established that the costs of alcohol impacted others beyond the imbibing individual.…”