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Nearly one in three young adults in New Zealand has a drinking problem according to a new study.
Otago University's Christchurch School of Medicine surveyed more than 1000 25-year-olds, a third admitted to an alcohol problem and one in 20 was alcohol dependant.
Those with the worst alcohol problem were the least likely to acknowledge the problem.
Canterbury District Health Board alcohol and drug services clinical head David Stoner said the youth drinking culture had changed over the past decade with a lower drinking age and greater access to, and marketing of, alcohol.
"Nobody leaves school to become a drug addict or an alcoholic, so it's not surprising people aren't keen to say they have a problem," Dr Stoner told The Press newspaper.
Alcohol Advisory Council chief executive Gerard Vaughan said health professionals should screen young adults for alcohol problems.
"Because we have a deeply ingrained binge-drinking culture where risky drinking is accepted, tolerated and even glamorised, many people do not recognise they need help."
International research showed intervention, even as simple as a health professional asking pertinent questions, was enough to motivate an individual to change, he said.
The study's author Elisabeth Wells said 351 participants admitted to an alcohol problem, but only 26 sought treatment.
Addiction expert Fraser Todd said the problems among young drinkers reflected a wider issue of binge drinking in New Zealand.
- NZPA
