Summary Factsheet
What is alcohol harm in Aotearoa?
Alcohol is New Zealand’s most harmful drug by far. And, more harm is caused to non-drinkers than drinkers, particularly because of the epidemic of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
Around one in every 6 New Zealand adults in 2022-23 had a hazardous drinking pattern that places them and/or others at risk of harm, from birth defects to disease, crime and accident.
Māori and areas of high deprivation are more likely to suffer alcohol harm, but such harm occurs in all communities. Around 1000 people die each year from alcohol-related causes. More than half of alcohol-related deaths are due to injuries, one-quarter to cancer and one-quarter to other chronic diseases.There is a lack of data on the extent of alcohol addiction and abuse. In 2006 it was estimated that 100,000 people were addicted to alcohol or used it abusively.
Alcohol addiction cannot be cured but can be successfully treated. The high visibility of alcohol in society makes recovery harder.
It is estimated that alcohol-related harm costs the state around $8.5 billion annually. 392,800 workdays are lost to alcohol and 10% admit to working under the influence of alcohol.
At least one third of offences recorded by Police are committed by people who consumed alcohol prior to the offence, or around 300 offences per day. In 2022 there were 163 fatal crashes (out of 340 total fatal crashes), 144 serious injury crashes
and 776 minor injury crashes where driver alcohol/drugs was a contributing factor. Alcohol is implicated in around a third of all Police-recorded offences, a third of violent and family violence incidents, one-third of suicides and around half of all homicides. Alcohol-related crime doubles late at night and at weekends. It is sometimes said that most policing after 5pm on a Friday and over the weekend is alcohol related.
Alcohol-related harm is damaging and expensive. The numbers are not small. Most people know of family members, friends, colleagues or community members affected by the excessive and harmful consumption of alcohol. It is not a problem of personal responsibility but of society.New Zealanders drink 36 million litres of pure alcohol per year or 8.7 litres per person 15+. Every New Zealander drinks an average of nearly 2 standard drinks per day.
