People with high socioeconomic status drink more alcohol

People with higher socioeconomic status consume more alcohol on average than people with lower socioeconomic status, according to new research from the University of Queensland.

Dr Ben Tcharke from the Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS) said the team analyzed wastewater samples collected from 50 sites across Australia between 2016 and 2023, covering 50% of the population. The study was published in the journal of Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

“We used wastewater analysis to assess long-term trends in alcohol consumption based on socioeconomic status and remoteness of communities,” said Dr. Tcharke.

"We found that alcohol consumption is more pronounced in regional communities and areas with higher socioeconomic status, which includes higher levels of education, income and skilled employment.

"This may be due to a variety of factors including alcohol availability and lifestyle, with Australians of higher socioeconomic status more likely to engage in social activities that involve drinking."

The research team reported that alcohol consumption fell by about 4.5% in major cities and by about 2.5% and 3% in regional and remote areas, respectively, over a seven-year period.

Study co-author Associate Professor Fong Thai said while there was a decline in alcohol consumption in Australia, it was not uniform across all population groups.

"We found that the decline in alcohol consumption was more pronounced in urban areas than in regional and remote areas, while annual declines were less significant in the most socioeconomically disadvantaged areas," Professor Tai said.

"There is a risk that if this trend continues it could increase health inequalities in Australia, so sustained and multifaceted efforts to reduce alcohol-related harm in more deprived areas need to be supported.

“Policy and prevention efforts must be appropriately targeted in these areas to ensure more equitable long-term outcomes.”