Developing a national alcohol risk index: preventing future alcohol-related harms

Alcohol consumption is the fifth highest contributor to burden of disease in Australia and a major avoidable risk factor for disease and injury. Despite stable per-capita consumption over the past two decades, 3-in-4 Australians regularly drink alcohol, with 1-in-4 adults exceeding the NHMRC’s single occasion risky drinking guidelines at least monthly. Hence, there is a need at the population level to: monitor harms associated with alcohol; identify locations and sociodemographic groups most at risk; understand the types of harm caused; work with stakeholders to contextualise these harms. This will be achieved through identifying times, places, situations, and development stages that elevate alcohol risks. This work will result in the development and validation of tools or instruments that policy makers and governments can use toreduce alcohol harms and promote the health of everyday Australians.