Alcohol causes about 900 deaths a year, a study by Otago University researchers has found.
The report, Estimated alcohol-attributable health burden in Aotearoa New Zealand, was commissioned by Te Whatu Ora and released today.
Co-author Anja Mizdrak said while the study uses statistics from 2018 — the most recent year researchers could get a complete data set for — the results are expected to be similar to today's data.
The last time the study was undertaken was in 2013, using data from 2007.
The newly-released report shows that of the 901 deaths caused by alcohol in 2018, 42% were from cancer; 33% from injuries; and 25% from conditions such as liver cirrhosis, pancreatitis, and epilepsy.
One of the authors Tim Chambers talks to Breakfast about the study results. (Source: Breakfast)
It also found alcohol caused 1374 cancers and health conditions impacting even lower-level drinkers.
Mizdrak said the findings suggested that "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."
Alcohol caused 128,963 ACC injury claims in 2018. In comparison, for traffic injuries there were 29,205 ACC claims.
The report estimates injuries from alcohol cost ACC $500 million each year, while all motor vehicle injury claims amount to $474 million.
A dedicated ACC levy on drivers via registrations and petrol pays for the costs, but there is not one for alcohol.
The report's authors suggest a specific ACC levy on alcohol could be introduced.
Alcohol-related presentations among younger people are decreasing, new research has found. (Source: 1News)
"Based on cost-recovery principles, there may be scope to recover the costs incurred by ACC due to alcohol-attributable claims from those who contributed to those claims (e.g. drinkers and/or the alcohol industry) via a specific levy on alcohol," the report read.
The report also recommended raising prices on alcohol through the excise tax to reduce the health burden. Alcohol excise tax makes up 20% to 50% of the product price depending on the type of alcoholic drink. The 2010 Law Commission recommended raising alcohol excise tax by at least 50%, which was not implemented.
"There is a lot we can do to reduce the harm that alcohol does in our communities," Mizdrak 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."
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