Women in NSW 2012 - The Workplace Gender Equality Agency

4.3 DrinkingRate of risky drinking – people aged 16 years and overCurrent positionThe direction of changeover time20 percent of NSW women aged 16 years and over reported risky levels ofdrinking, compared to 40 percent of NSW men.Gender gap:• Around half as many women in NSW report risky drinking as men.Since 2002, there has been a slight decline in the rate of reported riskydrinking across the population as whole. The decline has been greater formen than for women.The exceptions to this are in the 35 to 44 age group, where the rate hasincreased slightly for both men and women, and amongst women aged45 to 54, whose rate of risky drinking increased from 13 percent in 2002to 21 percent in 2010.The burden of disease from alcohol is high, with young people bearing the costs of alcohol-related accidents andinjuries, and older people suffering from alcohol-related disease and chronic poor health. Long-term adverse effectsof high consumption of alcohol on health include contribution to cardiovascular disease, some cancers, risks tounborn babies, mental health conditions and self-harm.Risky drinking in Indicator 4.3 is defined as drinking more than two standard drinks on a day when alcoholis consumed.Year collected: 2010.Data source: NSW Population Health Survey (HOIST), Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence, NSW Ministry of Health.More information is available at www.healthstats.nsw.gov.auSince 2002, therehas been a slightdecline in the rateof reported riskydrinking across thepopulation as whole.The decline has beengreater for men thanfor women.28 WOMEN IN NSW 2012 | HEALTH AND WELLBEING