Binge drinkers put lives at risk

Drinking alcohol before middle age produces no health benefits, says new research.

An Auckland University study for the Alcohol Advisory Council (Alac) showed that a small amount of alcohol can help to prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes and complications of gallbladder disease.

But there were far more deaths than benefits related to alcohol in young people.

The study, released yesterday, showed that in the year 2000 there were 1037 deaths attributed to alcohol consumption, with more than half resulting from injury after excessive drinking.

The researchers also showed the health burden of alcohol fell inequitably on Maori, because of different drinking patterns.

Non-Maori were more likely to be alcohol drinkers and drink more often, but less likely to binge-drink than Maori.

Even though both Maori and non-Maori drink about the same amount of alcohol, the impacts on health differ substantially.

The research indicated that because of different styles of drinking, Maori were four times more likely to die from an alcohol-related cause than non-Maori.

The study also showed, not surprisingly, that people were more likely to die from injuries as a result of drinking.

Death from injury made up 51 per cent of alcohol-related deaths, cancers accounted for 24 per cent, and the remainder were due to other chronic illnesses related to heavy drinking.

Most alcohol-related deaths before middle-age were due to injury.

Alac chief executive Dr Mike MacAvoy said it was clear that for drinkers consuming the same average volume of alcohol, the pattern of drinking had a huge influence on both benefits and harms.

- NZPA