The latest Annual Alcohol Poll Report from the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) confirms what is common knowledge, that most Australians’ drinking occasions are at home and that Australians enjoy the convenience of home delivery.
The real question is so what? There is nothing wrong with drinking at home or using a delivery service. In typical FARE fashion, innocuous facts are used to try and create community concern when there is no evidence to suggest that people should be concerned.
Mr Andrew Wilsmore, CEO of Alcohol Beverages Australia, said today “Australians overwhelmingly enjoy a beverage at home as this is where most drinking occasions occur – a glass with dinner, chilling over a movie, hosting family and friends to a meal or BBQ, or watching sport on TV with a few mates.
“FARE’s poll (conducted in January/February) showing that 61% of Australians most frequent drinking location was the home is actually a decrease on the 64.5% found in a recent Roy Morgan Poll[1].
“Australians still enjoy socialising with others over a beer, wine or spirit with 49% of Australian enjoying a beverage in their local pub or club; 48% at someone else’s home; 46% at a restaurant; and 31% at events such as weddings, sport or festivals.
“FARE’s report also confirms the trends found in Australia’s most independent and trusted source for Australia’s drinking habits, the AIHW NDSHS[2], which confirms the vast majority of Australians are drinking moderately or increasingly abstaining from alcohol.
“Like every other aspect of our modern busy lives, 15% of Australians utilised alcohol-delivery services in the previous 12 months, citing reasons of convenience and value. While not disclosed by FARE, this was actually a decrease from 33% of Australians in their 2019 survey.
“Hysteria over late night alcohol delivery have been shown to be false, with 97% of alcohol deliveries occur before 10 PM, none take place after midnight, and all deliveries of alcohol are subject to a rigorous set of responsible service processes.
“It is important to note that under the law, ID is required to be checked if the delivery person believes the person to be underage. To prevent underage consumption, industry-led initiatives encourage ID to be checked if the person looks 25 years or younger which is 16.3% of the adult drinking population, compared to the 38% of the FARE survey who said their ID was checked.
“Clearly if someone looks like they are mature aged you don’t check their ID, whether that’s in the pub or when you make a home delivery”, Mr Wilsmore said.
Background Only on the Foundation for Alcohol Research & Education (FARE):
- FARE was originally set-up by an act of Parliament to disperse taxpayers funds to front-line organisations, particularly the Rehabilitation sector, that actually work to reduce alcohol-related harm.
- FARE have significantly departed from this original remit, and are now Australia’s leading anti-alcohol organisation with the majority of their budget spent on anti-alcohol advocacy, questionable research, and campaigning for restrictions on the vast majority of Australians who enjoy alcohol responsibly.
- Caution should be used in interpreting research commissioned or funded by FARE.
- An example is their research which created headlines with a claim that 70% of Australians reported drinking more alcohol than usual since the COVID-19 outbreak in Australia. When in fact those headlines only related to 70% of the 20% who reported purchasing more alcohol than usual. No mention is made of the 80% of Australian households who kept at the same level or reduced their alcohol purchasing.
- They have used this same tactic in their most recent report by suggesting 11% of Australians are using alcohol delivery services on a daily basis. When in fact, this is actually 11% of the 15% who reported using delivery services (1.6% of all Australians).
- FARE also insinuate that alcohol sales are being made to those under the age of 18 by a supposed ‘lack of ID checking’. Participants in the poll are over the age of 18, so how could their poll reach this conclusion? Our Media Statement also highlights that people who are clearly middle-aged do not require ID checking.
- FARE claims their Poll to be “the nation’s most comprehensive annual survey showing trends in Australian’s behaviours, attitudes, awareness and experiences of drinking, alcohol harm and alcohol policy”.
- With 2,264 participants across Australia it is by no means the most comprehensive. The National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS) has approximately 10 times more at over 22,000 participants in the 2019 survey.
- The NDSHS survey found that Australians continue to consume alcohol responsibly with decreases in people drinking at both single occasion and lifetime risky levels.
Media Inquiries:
Andrew Wilsmore, Chief Executive Officer
0403 570 407
[1] Roy Morgan Single Source Australia, April 2019 – March 2020, n= 13,208.
[2] https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/illicit-use-of-drugs/national-drug-strategy-household-survey-2019/contents/table-of-contents