Australians Change Drinking Habits

 

Australia is a country known for its free lifestyle and its easy-going population. Lately, however, people’s drinking habits have been changing. More and more Australians are switching their pint of beer for a glass of lemonade or mineral water. A growing number of Australians are leaving alcohol behind, at least for a while.

20 years ago only 6% of Australian adults have never had a drink. Today the number has doubled to 12%. The number for teenagers is similar. The percentage of drinking youngsters has gone down from half in 1990 to a third today. Although Australia still reports a massive drinking problem people have begun to consider that binge drinking and getting drunk just for fun is not the healthiest thing to do.

Other Australians have started campaigning against alcohol.  Hello Sunday Morning is a website that wants to persuade people to change their drinking habits and comment about it. Since its launch in 2009 almost 10,000 people have registered and blog about their relationship with alcohol. Overall consumption of users is currently at about 70% of its original level.

Other organizations are  Febfast , where you give up drinking alcohol for a month , or DryJuly, a non-profit organization , that campaigns for a healthy lifestyle.


Australians have not only become aware of the harm that alcohol can do, but also of the costs. Cutting down alcohol can save you a lot of money that you could use elsewhere. State health costs could also be significantly reduced. Such campaigns can have an effect on people’s lifestyles, but it will take some time.

 

 

Related Topics

 

Words

  • adult = grown-up
  • although = while
  • aware = realize, know that something exists
  • binge drinking = to drink large amounts of alcohol in a short time, just for fun
  • campaign = fight against
  • comment = talk
  • consider = think
  • currently = at the moment
  • cut down = reduce, lower
  • double = to go up twice as much
  • easy-going = not worried too much, not working too hard
  • effect = influence
  • habit = what someone regularly does; routine
  • however = but
  • launch = start
  • massive = very drastic, severe, very big
  • non-profit = not with the aim of making money
  • original level = what it was at first
  • overall consumption = the amount that all users drink
  • percentage = how many out of a hundred
  • persuade = to do something about, take action
  • pint = half a liter
  • reduce = lower
  • register = become a member; open up an account
  • relationship = what a person feels about
  • significantly = very much
  • similar = the same
  • state health costs = what the government pays for doctors, hospitals and health care
  • switch = change