October 2022
In 2021, alcohol-induced deaths increased to the highest rate in a decade in Australia. The rise in alcohol deaths is driven by a marked increase in the death rate among men and increased deaths due to illnesses arising from long-term or chronic alcohol use, including liver cirrhosis.
The root cause of the problem is the alcogenic society in Australia, perpetuated and exploited by the alcohol industry to increase the availability of alcohol products to maximize profits at the cost of the health and wellbeing of people.
Alcohol-induced deaths are at the highest level in a decade in Australia. Hospital Intensive Care Units (ICUs) are experiencing a massive influx of patients with diseases caused by alcohol.
In the face of this steep increase of alcohol deaths and diseases, Australian ‘alcogenic society’ has been identified as cause – a pervasive alcohol norm pushing alcohol into all aspects of life in Australia and driving alcohol use and harm.
On October 19, 2022, the Australian Bureau of Statistics released data on alcohol-induced deaths in 2021. The new data revealed alcohol-induced deaths are at the highest level in the last 10 years.
- In 2021, there were 1,559 people who died of an alcohol-induced death, comprising 1,156 men and 403 women.
- There was a 5.8% increase in the rate of alcohol-induced deaths, with 107 additional deaths since 2020.
- For males, the rate is the highest in the ten-year time series at 8.3 deaths per 100,000 people (8.1% increase since 2020).
- The rate for females remained the same as in 2020.
5.8% Increase in alcohol-induced deaths in Australia – There was a 5.8% increase in the rate of alcohol-induced deaths, with 107 additional deaths since 2020. This was the highest rate recorded in a decade.
