According to Professor Wayne Hall, of the University of Queensland's School of Population Health, alcohol misuse cost the Australian economy $3.58billion in lost workplace productivity, $1.57billion in lost productivity in the home, $1.61billion in crime-related costs and $2.2billion in road accidents.
At least two-thirds of alcohol consumption put drinkers' health at risk and eighty per cent of alcohol used by 14-24-year-old Australians was consumed irresponsibly.
Would reliable sales data help counter the problem? The Australian Medical Association thinks so and has criticised the Federal Government for failing to safeguard the publication of alcohol sales data used to track the effectiveness of programs curbing alcohol abuse.
The AMA is concerned that the Australian Bureau of Statistics is considering abandoning its current practice of publishing annual alcohol sales statistics, claiming the data was crucial in the fight against binge drinking.
Full story: The Canbera Times
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