Alcohol use survey results encouraging

  • Peter Dunne
Health

Associate Minister of Health Peter Dunne has welcomed the release of the Ministry of Health’s Alcohol Use 2012/13 report.

The report presents the key findings from the 2012/13 New Zealand Health Survey about alcohol use, misuse and alcohol-related harm among New Zealanders aged 15 years and over.

Of note are the comparisons between similar data collected in 2007/08, which show encouraging progress around consumption behaviour said Mr Dunne.

“It is particularly pleasing to see risky behaviours such as drinking to intoxication and working under the influence of alcohol declining, and fewer reporting first drinking before 15 years of age.

“Over the last 6 years this government has made a concerted effort to reduce the negative impact of alcohol consumption on people and those around them and I believe we are seeing these efforts delivering positive results”, says Mr Dunne.

Although noting the positive direction in which a number of indicators have moved, Mr Dunne said there was still room for improvement, particularly with regard to a lcohol use by pregnant women.

“Both the Ministry of Health and the Health Promotion Agency advise that there is no known safe level of alcohol consumption for women during their pregnancy. In light of this, I would expect to see all women receiving this advice from their respective health professionals, be they midwives GPs or nurses. The current figure of 68% of women receiving this advice, from any source, is still far too low”, says Mr Dunne.