How can we reduce alcohol-related harm?
Drinking alcohol can increase your risk of injury. Many alcohol-related injuries are due to overconsumption. Alcohol has numerous effects on the body which can often impact your mental alertness, level of coordination, ability to respond to hazards and risk taking behaviour. Alcohol consumption also has additional effects when mixed with medications. Common injuries that are affected by alcohol consumption include road crashes, drowning, poisoning and falls.
Whilst there is no safe level of drinking, if you choose to drink alcohol there are actions you can take to reduce the likelihood of alcohol-related harm.
- Discussing your alcohol use with your GP.
- Choosing low or no alcohol alternatives. These may have the same or similar taste but with less or no alcohol.
- Following the National Health Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Alcohol Guidelines and never drinking more than 10 standard drinks a week and more than four in a single drinking session.
- Eating food before and while drinking. This will help to slow your drinking pace and the absorption of alcohol.
- Only ordering small serves of alcohol and avoiding high-alcohol content drinks.
- Keeping track of how many drinks you have consumed by not allowing others to top up your glass.
- Having alcohol-free days.
If you are going out with the intention of drinking alcohol or will be around others who are drinking, to avoid getting yourself into any dangerous situations it is always important to:
- Share your plans, including the venue and how long you expect to be out for, with your family, friends or partner.
- Ensure you have contact numbers for your friends and that your phone is fully charged when you go out.
- Before you go out, make sure you have a lift home organised by either a family member or friend who has not been drinking. If everyone has been drinking, call a taxi or ride share service.
What happens if you are involved in an alcohol-related injury?
If you or someone you know is involved in an incident that has caused harm, call 000 immediately to seek urgent medical attention. Likewise, if someone is displaying signs of violence, please call 000 for help.
If you are concerned about your level of alcohol intake, you can discuss this with your doctor or call one of the following organisations for support:
- Alcohol and Drug Support Line
Metro (08 9442 5000) or Country (1800 198 024) - Parent and Family Drug Support Line
08 9442 5050 or 1800 653 203 - Alcohol and Drug Foundation
1300 85 85 84
Organisations and Programs
South Metropolitan Health Service – Health Promotion
South Metropolitan Health Service, Health Promotion (SMHS HP) partners with community, government and non-government agencies to lower the incidence of...Know Injury
The Know Injury program provides knowledge, skills and networking opportunities, to support and enable practitioners to deliver evidence-informed injury prevention...Alcohol and Drug Foundation
The Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF) is Australia’s leading organisation committed to inspiring positive change and delivering evidence-based approaches to...Health Direct
Healthdirect provides virtual health services. The virtual health services are for all Australians. For those who might struggle to access...OzHelp
OzHelp is a leading provider of workplace wellbeing programs specialising in mental health and suicide prevention.Helping Minds
HelpingMinds® provides a variety of mental health support services for carers and for people experiencing mental health challenges. Services are available...Resources
External Resources
- Alcohol and Drug Foundation – Resources
- Alcohol.Think Again – Online alcohol tools
- Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet – Alcohol and Other Drugs Knowledge Centre
- Cancer Council WA – Alcohol publications
- Headspace – Alcohol resources
- National Health Medical Research Council – Alcohol Guidelines
- School Drug Education and Road Aware – Transport resources
- Strong Spirit Strong Mind – Alcohol resources
- Western Australian Network of Alcohol & other Drug Agencies – Resources
References
- Cancer Council WA. Alcohol Use in Western Australia. Drinking patterns and harms. (2021).
- Cancer Council Western Australia, WA Network of Alcohol and other Drug Agencies., Alcohol and Drug Foundation & Telethon Kids Institute. WA’s hidden crisis: Harm from alcohol. https://www.cancerwa.asn.au/resources/2022-05-06-WA-Hidden-Crisis-Harm-from-alcohol.pdf (2022).
- Road Safety Commission. WA Road Fatalities 2021. https://www.wa.gov.au/system/files/2022-02/WA%20Road%20Fatalities%202021.pdf (2022).
- Alcohol and Drug Foundation. Alcohol. Alcohol and Drug Foundation https://adf.org.au/reducing-risk/alcohol/ (2021).
- Alcohol.Think Again. Alcohol and injury. Alcohol.Think Again https://alcoholthinkagain.com.au/alcohol-your-health/alcohol-and-short-term-harm/alcohol-and-injury/ (2020).
- Alcohol.Think Again. Planning a night out. Alcohol.Think Again https://alcoholthinkagain.com.au/alcohol-your-health/alcohol-and-short-term-harm/planning-a-night-out/ (2020).