The harm alcohol consumption can cause to health has been laid bare in new research led by the University of Otago (Wellington).
It found 901 deaths, 1250 cancers, 29,282 hospitalisations and 128,963 Accident Compensation Corporation claims were attributable to alcohol in 2018.
Of the deaths, 42% were from cancer, 33% were from injuries, and 25% were from conditions such as liver cirrhosis, pancreatitis and epilepsy.
Males accounted for the vast majority of the health harms, and the rate of alcohol-attributable mortality was twice as high for Māori.
Research co-author and University of Otago (Wellington) public health researcher Dr Anja Mizdrak said the health conditions affected even lower-level drinkers, with two standard drinks per week increasing the risk of developing several types of cancer, including breast and colon cancer.
Focusing on individuals aged 15 and over, the study included 26 different diseases and conditions related to drinking, and was conducted in collaboration with the University of Victoria’s Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research.
It is the first time such analysis has been done since 2013, which was based on data from 2007.
Dr Mizdrak said the report highlighted the substantial preventable health burden that alcohol caused.
"The findings aren’t surprising.
"Previous research, both here and overseas, has consistently shown alcohol contributes significantly to disease burden.
"This research shows that alcohol continues to have a big negative impact on health in New Zealand and contributes to inequities."
She said the results of the research were "underestimates" because they did not capture the true burden of alcohol harms.
"They only considered harms to the drinker.
"For example, we don't capture harms to those injured by drink-driving who weren't under the influence of alcohol, or the knock-on impacts from the extra pressure on the health system," she said.
While the report covered the data from 2018, Dr Mizdrak stressed the results would be similar today.
"Alcohol has a detrimental effect on health, and contributes to injuries and multiple cancers — including some of the most common cancers, like breast and bowel cancers.
"Even moderate levels of alcohol consumption are harmful.
"More than two standard drinks per week will increase your risk of developing cancer, and each additional standard drink radically increases the risk of alcohol-related consequences," she said.
The report outlined several policy avenues for reducing the alcohol-attributable health burden, including placing restrictions on alcohol marketing and availability; increasing excise tax; and implementing a national screening and brief intervention programme.
"There is a lot we can do to reduce the harm that alcohol does in our communities," she said.
"The large social and economic impacts on individuals and the government, and the pressure that alcohol places on our already stretched health system, should give us reason to act."
