Study finds half of young men are drinking risky levels of alcohol

Men aged between 18 and 29 years-old are consistently consuming more than the guideline of four standard drinks on a typical occasion with 11 per cent consuming around nine standard drinks, a report by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) found.

Newcastle's Benjamin Cox, 26, says he consumes alcohol at least once a fortnight and mostly on social occasions.

"[Usually] through having drinks with friends or if I'm out having a meal at a restaurant," he said.

But it's never affected his mental health and he's never been inclined to drink and drive.

"I've gotten drunk and sick before but never to the point that I've made a stupid decision," he said.

Researchers from the longitudinal study Ten to Men, tracked over 16,000 boys and men over the last decade, surveying males aged between 10 and 57 years-old, four times between 2013-14 and 2022.

Boys aged between 10 and 17 years-old reported high-risk drinking when they were first surveyed, with six per cent consuming around nine standard drinks on a typical drinking occasion.

Over the next decade, 13 per cent of this same group were consistently drinking at risky levels, the report stated.

It was found across all age groups, consuming alcohol underage was shown to be a strong predictor of risky drinking in later life.

Young adult men, aged 18-29 years-old who consumed alcohol for the first time while underage were 4.4 times more likely to have high-risk drinking patterns over the subsequent 10 years than those who waited until they were of legal age.

"I think there's a lot of peer pressure involved for young men as it's considered a 'manly' thing to do," Mr Cox said.

"If you're out at a social outing, be it a party or a dinner, or just a get together, it's so widely considered that drinking is just 'the thing to do' and you can be perceived as the odd one out if you don't participate," he said.

The report also found young men living in a regional or rural area were twice as likely as their city-based peers to be drinking at risky levels over the 10 year-period.

"I've noticed it's more prevalent in country areas, which could be due to a lack of activities for youth in these areas; though I'm sure this isn't a set in stone rule," Mr Cox said.

AIFS Ten to Men program lead Dr Sean Martin, said the research highlights an unhealthy relationship with alcohol for men can start early and persist over years.

"What we can see through this longitudinal data is that drinking patterns are fairly well established by the time men reach the age of 30," he said.

"Drinking at risky levels doesn't only occur on the cusp of adulthood, and during a man's early 20s - it can also carry on when adult responsibilities ramp up, including work and family commitments and into middle age," he said.

"For many men, unless they make a conscious decision to reduce their consumption, unhealthy drinking can affect work performance and relationships, as well physical and mental health."

Dr Martin said surveying the same men over time helps pinpoint some of the predictors of high-risk drinking later in life.

"Boys living in rural and regional areas, boys or men who smoke or take illicit drugs, and older men with disability need to be a particular focus for policies and programs aimed at reducing alcohol harms," he said.