15 Dec 2023

Hazardous drinking at an all-time low, health survey shows

From Nights, 10:18 pm on 15 December 2023

Tis the season to be jolly, and for some closing out the year, that can mean running the risk of hazardous drinking. But the most recent New Zealand Health Survey, released earlier this week, shows that fewer of us are choosing to overindulge in alcohol. The rate of hazardous drinking reported in the survey dropped to an all-time low of just 16 percent of the adult population, with a marked decrease among younger people in particular. Mark Leishman speaks to the executive director of the NZ Alcohol Beverages Council Virginia Nicholls.