Alcohol drinking in adults
Why this indicator is important
Alcohol is the most widely used drug in Australia.[1]
- Alcohol is a group 1 carcinogen and even small amounts of alcohol can increase cancer risk.[2]
- There is strong evidence that drinking alcohol increases the risk of many different cancers, including cancer of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, breast, liver, stomach and bowel.[3]
- A study of alcohol consumption and cancer incidence in NSW adults aged 45 years and over found that the risk of developing an alcohol-related cancer increases by 10% with every 7 standard drinks consumed per week when compared with those who don’t drink alcohol.[4]
- In 2020 the National Health and Medical Research Council updated the Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol stating healthy men and women should drink no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any one day.[1]
About this indicator
This indicator shows the proportion of adults aged 18+ years in NSW who consumed alcohol above recommended levels, as per the National Health and Medical Research Council Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol:
- In 2024, 31.0% of people aged 18+ years drank more than 10 standard alcoholic drinks a week or more than 4 standard drinks in a day in the last 4 weeks. This proportion has increased from 27.1% in 2023.
- In 2024, 24.3% of people aged 18 years and over did not drink alcohol. This proportion has decreased from 24.7% in 2023.
NSW Cancer Plan activities
The Cancer Institute NSW alongside key partners are working to deliver programs to improve awareness and address the links between alcohol consumption and cancer risk. Recent work includes the development of the Alcohol and Cancer Risk Tool, launched in 2025 and the Alcohol and Cancer Risk Quality Improvement module for primary care professionals which is included in the Primary Care Cancer Control Quality Improvement Framework.[3]
Notes
- Data Source: NSW Population Health Survey (SAPHaRI). Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence, NSW Ministry of Health. Data used with permission from HealthStats NSW.[5]
- Data accurate as of March 2026
- Healthstats NSW reporting has changed to align with the 2020 National Health and Medical Research Council Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol [1]. Previously data was reported against the 2009 NHMRC guidelines which stated a maximum of two standard drinks per day, for both men and women. Past reporting periods have been recalculated using the new guidelines and are presented in the chart.
References
- Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol. National Health and Medical Research Council, 2020. Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra.
- Cancer Institute NSW. Drink less alcohol [Internet]. Sydney: Cancer Institute NSW, 2022 [cited 27 March 2026]. Available from: https://www.cancer.nsw.gov.au/prevention-and-screening/preventing-cancer/reduce-your-cancer-risk/drink-less-alcohol
- Cancer Institute NSW. Alcohol and cancer risk QI module [Internet]. Sydney: Cancer Institute NSW, 2022 [cited 27 March 2026]. Available from: https://www.cancer.nsw.gov.au/what-we-do/working-with-primary-care/primary-care-cancer-control-quality-improvement-to/cancer-prevention-qi-modules/alcohol-qi-module
- Sarich P, Canfell K, Egger S, Banks E, Joshy G, Grogan P, Weber MF. Alcohol consumption, drinking patterns and cancer incidence in an Australian cohort of 226,162 participants aged 45 years and over. Br. J. Cancer. 2021 Jan 19;124(2):513-23.
- HealthStats NSW. Alcohol related risk of harm: the Australian alcohol guideline for adults (NHMRC 2020, guideline 1) [Internet]. Sydney: HealthStats NSW, 2026 [cited 27 March 2026]. Available from: Alcohol-related risk of harm: the Australian alcohol guideline for adults (NHMRC 2020, guideline 1) - HealthStats NSW
