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Northern Territory Department of Health Library Services Historical Collection
.•
NORTHERN TERRITORY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
S O M E S T A T I S T I C S O N : A L C O H O L U S E I N T H E N O R T H E R N T E R R I T O R Y
...
HISTORICAL f
COLLECTION
f
0
3-0+ ~EXTRACT FROM NORTHERN TERRITORY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH BULLETIN ISSUE NO. 31 QUARTER ENDING MARCH 1981
/
NORTHERN
PO BOX 1701 DARWIN NT 5794
SOME STATISTICS USE THE NORTHERN
EXTRACTED, WITH AMENDMENTS, FROM NORTHERN TERRITORY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH BULLETIN - ISSUE No.31 QUARTER ENDING MARCH 1981
45882
ALCOHOL USE IN T:tJE
From the time of earliest European settlement Territory high alcohol consumption, and alcohol , has a feature of life in the north. In the early days of the town of Palmerston (later renamed Darwin) alcohol abuse was prevalent in the predominantly male
tion. was to J. A.
a list of
"dreadful apathy and indifference of the people". An early piece of
legislation was passed 1872 people from
supplied with alcohol, this
increasingly closer to
and people of
the
movement Territory, concern problems grew.
examinations of
Drs
Department held a
Territory aimed at stimulating local action successful in Darwin.
Dr G. Milner (1974)
Social Development Branch of
0 .... ,. .. ,1-,,,,,..,.7 and a
Mr Stoltz (AFADD) (1975)
proposed an AFADD
Dr L. Drew· (1975)
Department of Health and proposed a full time undertake the Milner proposal.
1
The Regional published in 1975 range of servi~s
Health
Council for Alcoholism and
legislative and service programmes as a 7" ' ' " '0 '¥''!.!.!"!., .... ,.., ...
ent authority.
In 1976 the House of
Affairs conducted a of
concern was reflected at the
a .. range of preventive treatment of Territory.
as a of new
on 12 February 1979.
Meanwhile Gove:rnment was moving to provide a '
an interim on
a Northern Force to
the its decision to
ment,
and Alcohol Bureau.
Drug and Alcohol Advisory and has provision
government and government sectors .
One the functions of the Drug and Alcohol
report on other drug
tables are provided with place a of curren
tJy
in aim
on alcohol
to to an
to
matters.
a
an
on
' a
Future Departmental publications will expand on update this data.
In any discussion o! alcohol consumption it is important to remember that the Northern Territory has a young population, as in the table below.
TABLE AGE GROUP 75+
70-74 65-69 60-64 55-59 50-54 45-49 40-44 35-39 30-34 25-29 20-24 15-19 10-14 5-9
75+
70-74 65-69 60-64 55-59 50-54 45-49 40-44 35-39 30-34 25-29 20-24 15-19 10-14 5-9 0-4
1 NT AB
% 1.0 1.1 1.8 2.2 2.2 . ·3. 1 3.6 4.3 5.0 5.8 6.9 8.9 10.6 12.7 15.3 15.5
NT TOTAL
% 0.5 0.8 1.4 2.0 2.6 3.6 4.3 5.0 6.9 9.4 12.l 10.8 7.7 9.0 11. 7 12.2
POPULATION PYRAMIDS - NORTHERN TERRITORY AND AUSTRALIA BY AGE DISTRIBUTION
NT OTHER
% 0.4 0.7 1.2 2.0 2.7 3.8 4.5 5.3 7.5 10.6 13.8 11.4 6.7 7.8 10.5 11.1
AUST
% 3.2 2.4 3.3 4.2 4.6 5.5 5.6 5.3 6.0 7.0 8.4
8.4
9.0 9.0 9.2 8.9NT ABORIGINAL
...
. . . . . .
...
. . . . . . . ...
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
... . . . . .
4J • 0 • • 9 0 • 0 0 0 0
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
...
• • • • • • • <$ • • • • • • •
5 0
NT OTHER
• • • 0 • • •
. . . . . . . . . ... . . ... .
• • • • • • • • • • • • e •
. ... .
. ... .
. ... . ...
. ... . ...
• • 0 • • • • •...
• • • • • • • • $ • •. ... . . ... .
5 10 15
20 15 10
NT TOTAL AUSTRALIA
....
. . . . . . ...
. . . . . . . . .... . . . . . . . . . .... .
. . . . . . . . . . ... .
. . . . . . . . . . . ... .
• • • • • • • • • • • • • 3 • • • • • •
. . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... .
. . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . ... .
. . . . . . . . . ... .
. . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . ... .
• • • • • 0 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
. . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... .
20 15 10 5 0 5 10 15 20, Source: 1976 Census
3
Because the Territory has such a preponderance of in twenties and thirties, we might expect to see very high alcohol consump- tion of a young, active population. Survey research, however, does not support the popular opinion that young adults in Australia consume
significantly more alcoholic liquor reliable
data on age/consumption relationships in are available. At the same time the long term effects of alcohol such as cirrhosis of the liver might not be as apparent in our young population as in a more mature population. Road accidents are the exception - a situation that has been well documented in previous Bulletin issues.
As shown, Northern Territory alcohol consumption
TABLE 2 APPARENT CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOLIC NORTHERN
Beverage
Amount Consumed
BEER )
WINE (litres)
SPIRITS (litres alcohol)
PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION BEER (litres)
WINE (litres) SPIRITS
Source: (a) . (b)
(c)
Liquor A.B.S.,
AND AUSTRALIA, N.T. ) Year to 28(2/79
26 769 008 2 501
542 174
232.8 21.8 4.7
Commission ,
(d) litres alcohol
BEVERAGES,
AUSTRALIA (b) Year to ~0/6/79
923 388 000
15 157 000
134 2
16 .• 5 1. l(d)
' p . 14.
TABLE 3 APPARENT PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES N.T. AND AUSTRALIA, 1978/1979. ABSOLUTE ALCOHOL
EQUIVALENTS (LITRES)
Amount Consumed Year to 28/2/79 Year to 30/6/79 BE~R
WINE SPIRITS
Note:
11.2 6.4
3.3 2.5
1.8 1.1
TOTAL 16.3 10.0
The estimated alcohol content
has been calculated applying factors by volume for beer, 15% for wine, and 38.
NT To Australia 1. 7
1.3 1.6 1.6
consumed alcohol content for spirits.
Source: Table 2 "Apparent consumption of alcoholic beverages, NT and Australia, 1978/1979". ·
It can be seen that, on average, Northern Territory
consumes alcoholic liquor at about 1. 6 times the rate of Australia as a whole.
An attempt has been made to take drinking population is set out below.
TABLE 4 DRINKING POPULATION. PERSONS AGED 18 YEARS BY SEX, N.T. AND AUSTRALIA, 30 JUNE 1979
N.T. 18 Years and Over
% TOTAL
Australia 18 Years and Over
%
MALES
39 707 62.5
FEMALES
30 236 57.7 7 223 856 7 198 060
4 923 352 68.2
5 015 860 69.7
account. The
OVER,
PERSONS 1
69 943 60.3 14 421 916 9 939 212 68.9
Source: ABS, "Estimated population by age, Australia, States and Territories; 30 June 1979", printout.
5
When alcohol consumption rates are adjusted to allow age and the proportion of drinkers in the ,population, the high level of alcohol consumption" in the Territory becomes apparent. Readers are reminded that 80 grams ot absolti. te alcohol per day is, on average, the maximum
I
sate consumption level. A person consuming more 80 daily (about 6 cans of beer or 9 nips of is a heavy , exposing himself or herself to serious risk of illness or injury .
1 •
The average Northern Territorv drinker is consuming over 80 grams of alcohol daily.
TABLE 5 AVERAGE DAILY LIQUOR CONSUMPTION IN ABSOLUTE ALCOHOL EQUIVALENTS 1978-79 (a) NT AND AUSTRALIA
(Grams of absolute alcohol)
N.T. AUSTRALIA Ratio, NT to Aust
For Total Population 35
58 ,87
22 31 51
1.6 1.9 1. 7 Per Person Aged 18 yrs and above
Per Drinker (b)
(a) N. T. consumption figures
28/2/79, a capita
to ended
.3 litres absolute alcohol. consumption figures ref er to the year ended 30/6/79, with a capita consumption 10. 0 litres of absolute alcohol. Consumption rates are based on these figures, not on levels
reported in note (b).
(b) "Drinkers" are persons aged years. above who reported that they drank liquor, as shown in the 1977 survey of alcohol and tobacco consumption
These were 67. 0% of persons aged 18 years and in
the NT, and 61. 8% of Australian 18
above.
Source: ABS, Alcohol and Tobacco Consumption
Patterns February 1977 Catalogue No. 4312. O.
Unsurprisingly, such
amount of money. cent
costs
household
a
survey figures below, this amounts t9 27 or 28 dollars per at current monetary values, or about one and a
year per household.
thousand dollars a
TABLE 6 AVERAGE WEEKLY HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE ON ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES N.T. AND AUSTRALIA, 1975-
BEER WINE SPIRITS
DRINKS UNDEFINED AND ICE TOTAL ALCOHOL
TOTAL EXPENDITURE ON ALL ITEMS
ALCOHOL EXPENDITURE AS
%
OF·TOTALNote:
areas S , Household L.J ... ..,..., ... ...,., ... . , ...
and Income Catalogue No. 6518. 0.
The average
above, when converted to NT $27.
$ 10.20 1.19 2.12 0.
.12
6.
(Source: Darwin CPI Food Groups 1975 More serious costs of alcohol are
128 of the Northern
members of the Police Force to whom they believe are intoxicated to endanger themselves or others .
in into public and
$ 4.
0.
0.95 0.29
$172.
3.
3,
Australia $12.
.3 Feb 139.
to or
TABLE 7 INTOXICATED
PROTECTIVE CUSTODY UNDER S. 128, ADMINISTRATION ACT, N.T., 1/1/77 to 31/12/78 and 1/9/80 to 28/2/81 PERIOD
1/77 ) Number to )
%
31/12/78) Mean 1/9/ 80) Number
to ) %
28/2/81) Monthly Mean
Source: Territory Police
1/9/80
*
were*
84% were taken*
64% were Aboriginal malesOne bright spot in
indicate that such drinking Unfortunately
The figures for arrests are as proportion cases, and
Aboriginal people, especially when we
ABORIGINAL 21
90 910 5 239 87
873
custody
is
and
recall that less than a Territory ..,'"',..., ... L...,
OTHER TOTAL
2 1 24 269
10 100
101 1 011
754 5 993
13 100
999
the
in a
Table 8 , on
average, 900 cases of or summonsed
Territory Police occur each month.
cases of being taken into
ation occur each month. This demonstrates on the Police Force by public drunkenness.
8
7
owing to
work load placed
TABLE 8 PERSONS ARRESTED AND
TERRITORY 1/8/~0 to 28/2/81
Not Alcohol ) Number 1 395
) 62
) 233
Alcohol ) Number 1 1
) 53
) Monthly Mean
) Number 2 1 ) Percentage 47
) Mean 7
Source:
Road crashes are another element major role .
TABLE 9
DARWIN OTHER AREAS TOTAL NT
Northern
Total Accidents Alcohol Related 1978 1979 1978 1979 1980
906
775 204 199
1499 1
9
, NORTHERN
2
3 254 100
121 100 520
33 27
2 254
3
32 31
121 520
33 29
a
TABLE 10 ROAD ACCIDENT~FATALITIES INVOLVING ALCOHOL Total Fatalities
78 19
10 6 10 8 5 71
OTHER AREAS 54 43 57 63
TOTAL NT 68 53 63 35 68 66
Source: Northern Territory Police
are paralleled
... ~ . .,...,,,,.,, are for 1978, but the picture
TABLE 11 SEPARATIONS FROM HOSPITAL OWING TO ROAD E 810-827
Outcome
Died Other Alice Died Other Gove Died Other Tennant Died
Other Died Other TOTAL
Creek
0 - 14 Years Ab Other
1 13
1 10 27
1 I
2 4 5
5 4 4 33 98 33 102
15 Years & Over Ab Other
2 6
1 2
34 109
1 1 14
3 9
13 16
6 18 118 579 124 597
I
TOTAL Ab Other
2
59 1 44
1 2 15
3 11
17 21
6 22
151 7
157 699
74
75
4 180
17
TABLE 12 HOSPITAL DAYS STAY OWING TO ROAD ACCIDENTS, 1978 E 810-827
Hospital 0 - 14 Years 15 Years & Over
Outcome Ab Other Ab Other
Died 1 18 25
Other 248 456
Alice Springs
Died 1 8
Other 263 471 7 1743
Gove
Died 3
Other 2 2 2 76
Tennant Creek
Died 2 19
Other 6 9 53 60
Katherine Died
Other 18 4 189 564
All
4 72
Other ~37 42 2307 7173
TOTAL 537 946
The picture here is of a short stay for those a
survivors. It should be remembered
TOTAL Ab Other
18 26 1595 5
1 9
979 2214 3 4 78 19 59 69
207 568 3g 76 2844 8115
8
not between first and subsequent admissions, so in fact some
would be counted twice.
Similarly the total length of stay fortnight.
be on
The large number of road deaths and the association responsible for the introduction of the new
driving laws. The Territory has set a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 g/100 ml (0.08%).
11
Total 44
1
10
3193 3 82
775
a
was
TABLE 13 DRINK/DRIVING CONVICTIONS, N.T. TRAFFIC ACT, 1975 -1980
30th June
.
1975 1976 1977 1978 1979Offence
Driving under the
influence 333 204
Equal or exceeding
0.08% 264 1352 994
Fail to breath
test 4 42
"Drunken" driving 46 22 33 33
TOTAL 1620 1274
NOTE: The Breathalyser was
units in use has been increasing : Northern Territory
Random breath testing commenced its two year trial 1980. During the first twelve months,. a total
at breath
(1. were
concentration (BAC) equal to or
occurring in offenders were in
12
120 1058
2
0.11 to 0.
1980
133 1138
57
0 1328TABLE 14 RANDOM BREATH TESTING 1 FEB 1980 TO 31 JAN 1981 NUMBERS TESTED AND RESULTS, BY
LOCATION POPULATION NUMBER 0.08% PERCENT 0.08%
1979
TESTED AND OVER AND OVER
KATHERINE
3 241 3.70TENNANT CREEK
2 411 4 0.ALICE SPRINGS
16 274 542.00
NHULUNBUY
3 644 42.48
TOTAL
76 180 14 889 2121.42
Source: Northern Territory Police Force, Traffic Services
"Annual Report, R~dom Breath Testing" (31 Jan 1981)
TABLE 15 RANDOM BREATH TESTING FEB 1980 TO 31 JAN
BREATHALYSER READINGS: BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION IN GRAMS/100 MILLILITRES
0.0$0 to 0.100 0.101 to 0.150 0.151 to 0.200 0.201 to 0.250 0.251 to 0.300 over 0.300
TOTAL
20 52 27 6 2
Source: Northern Territory Police Force, Traffic Services
"Annual Report, Random Breath , (31 While road crashes are one of the most obvious
abuse, hospitalisation also occurs from
Unfortunately the precise relationship of alcohol with .LLU.J.c;.::,a
clearly defined. The table following, however, sets out which are entirely caused by alcohol.
. 13
1 0.
\ 1
TABLE 16 HOSPITAL MORBIDITY DUE TO ALCOHOL ALL NORTHERN TERRITORY HOSPITALS 1978
Separations Male Fem Tot Male Fem Tot Male Fem Tot Alcoholic
Psychosis Alcoholism Alcoholic
Cirrhosis Accidental
poisoning by alcohol
291
3038 39
8 20 59
24 110
7 31 32 7 39
150 249 60 309
571.0 3 4 7 11 3 14 14 7
E860
N/A
Days Stay Alcoholic
Psychosis Alcoholism
291 303
34 245
34 565
312 2525
508 346 196
2881 2770 676 Cirrhosis
Accidental by alcohol
571.0 21
E860
96 117 145 27 172
N/A
data on hospital inpatients accidentally poisoned available but the category has ' included
l
become available once data on computer tape A separate collection on poisonings is however Information Centre for poisonings reported to
includes outpatients as well as inpatients.
available on computer it can be examined in some
1
In order to compare alcohol poisoning with poisoning by substances, the table below also gives figures
for the 470 poison cases reported. Since some multiple substances (particularly in cases of alcohol was involved) there are more poisons These figures exclude 22 cases of poisoning by an alcohol substitute as this was not alcohol sense.
When examined by age group it is clear that as might be people are primarily in their twenties and thirties.
14
21
N/A
542 3446
289
not
as
17
Other Alcohol Alcohol
6
5 1
2
3
1
0.2
1
0.2 1
men women were
ALCOHOL 20-29
2
4 2
6 7
1
were
15
5.
6.
10
17
17
TABLE 19 MODE OF ALCOHOL POISONINGS GROUP
AGE: 30-39
NS
Therapeutic I
Accidental 1 1 2
Other 1
Unknown 1 1 2
TOTAL 6 7 2 3 2 20
poisoning resulted in
cases
was No were
TABLE 20 SEVERITY OF ALCOHOL POISONINGS BY AGE
AGE: 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60 or Over NS Total
Unaffected 2
Mild 3 4 1 3 12
Serious
llness 3 1 5
Unknown 1
TOTAL 6 7 2 3 2 20
were
16
TABLE 21 AGE:
Outpatient Unknown TOTAL
PLACE OF
1
6
2 1
7
BY AGE
2
relationship between severity
can be more clearly seen in the following
one whose
was as an
or Over NS Total
3
it more
2
3
20
treatment
TABLE 22 SEVERITY OF ALCOHOL, POISONING BY PLACE OF
Unaffected
Mild Illness 11
Serious Illness 5
Unknown l
Total 16 3
Percentage 80.0 15.0 5.0 100.
Three patients were known to have had previous (not necessarily by alcohol). Two were the to the age the other was unknown. Two
poisoning were as one as out-
patient.
17
The modes of poisoning were one suicidal, one accidental. Similarly, one was
seriously All were
alcohol, the
to
understood. Dr L.
published sources, the use of
Listed below are the disease states, the of estimated to
TABLE 23 ESTIMATED DEATHS ATTRIBUTABLE TO Percent 1977
, one
one and one
states. These are · are
to alcohol,
Disease Applied Male Fem Male Fem Male
Oral Cancer 20% 0.4 0.4 0.8 1.2
Cancer of Liver SO% 2
o.
0.5 0.5291 Alcoholic Psychosis
Alcoholism 15 1 6 4 2 1
400-404
Disease 0.6 0. 0. . 7 . 7
Cardiomyopathy 0. 0.15
571.0 Alcoholic
Cirrhosis 1 1
4
577 Pancreas 15% 0.15 0.15 0.15
E810-819 Motor Vehicle
Accidents 15.5 7.5 20. 7 20 7.
Accidental alcohol poisoning 100%
E880-887 Accidental Falls 10% 0. 0.4 0.1 0.
E890-899 Adult Burns 0.2 0.1 . l
10 3 0.3 2 7 0.3 .5 .3
E950-959 Suicide 20% 1.2 0.2 1.6 0.2 2 0.2
E960-969 Homicide 33.3% 5 1.65 4 1.65 3. 0.
TOTAL 47 14 40 19 1
Percent of Deaths 9.1 5.3 11.6 9.5
8.4
5.218
*
I CD 8 was used for 1977 and 1978 morbidity. The 1975ICD 9, was used for 1979 morbidity. The following slight changes were used for 1979: hypertensive disease, 401-405; alcoholic cirrhosis, 571.Q - 571.3; accidental falls E880-888.
can be seen about one death in ten men, and one in twenty among women, is associated with alcohol misuse. When it is remembered that these are conservative estimates is clear that alcohol constitutes a major health problem.
19
