Hazardous drinking continues to decline, particularly among young New Zealanders, signalling a "pleasing" cultural shift across the country.
The latest annual NZ Health survey was "pleasing" for members of the Dunedin alcohol harm prevention team and the Dunedin District Licensing Committee.
The survey showed hazardous drinking or harmful alcohol consumption among adults was similar to last year and had decreased from 21.3% in 2019-2020 to 16.6% in 2023-24.
The largest decrease in hazardous drinking over the past five years was among 18-24 year-olds — from 35.8% in 2018-19 to 22.6% in 2023-24.
Although the legal age for purchasing alcohol in New Zealand is 18 years old, the survey showed 51% of those aged 15-17 had consumed alcohol in the past year, which was a decrease of 8.9% points since the survey began in 2011-12.
Stats NZ data also showed alcohol consumption per capita had declined 29% since 1986.
The Health NZ guidelines for low-risk drinking are two standard drinks a day for women, and three standard drinks a day for men, with at least two alcohol-free days each week.
This included less than the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, France and Ireland.
In New Zealand, fewer young people under 18 were drinking alcohol, and those who did, were drinking less hazardously, she said.
"This reduction in hazardous drinking shows a change in the way that Kiwis are drinking.
"These trends are positive. However, we need to invest more in education, both at secondary school and in our work places, to continue to accelerate these changes."
While official data for Dunedin was not yet known, alcohol harm prevention officer Sergeant Steve Jones, of Dunedin, said he was "pleased to hear there has been a decrease".
"Police always support any evidence-based approaches to alcohol harm prevention.
"We always encourage the responsible consumption of alcohol."
Dunedin’s District Licensing Committee chairman-commissioner Colin Weatherall was also pleased with the trend and said the data in the survey reflected another recently released report which also showed youth drinking was decreasing.
"We’re pleased to see this trend and we hope it can be confirmed in Dunedin as well.
"We want to see people do it in moderation and do it for the right reasons.
"A continuation of that trend would be tremendous. It’s a trend that we would encourage and support."
Mr Weatherall said it was also pleasing because the decline would help take pressure off emergency services, hospitals, courts and other community support agencies.
