A Brief History of Alcohol Consumption in Australia
Alcohol is a big part of Australian culture. Milton Lewis, the author of The Rum State, claims that heavy drinking was a cultural standard brought to Australia during colonization.
The average annual alcohol consumption per person dropped from 13 liters around the mid-1970s to 10 liters by the late 2000s. Alesa Dam
In Britain, heavy drinking was the norm. Gin epidemics devastated entire communities. Lewis says alcohol was used as a source of food and nutrition in Europe for a long time, as diets were limited and there weren’t many other options.
Two drinking practices exist to this day. The “shouting,” where each person buys drinks for everyone, and the “work and break,” which is a drunken binge after a hard day of work in the bush. It is a term that was used before the modern concept of binge drinking. This can be seen at the ” mad Monday” celebrations after a football season.
Other factors also played a role. During this time, convicts received part payment in rum, and spirits were traded as barter. Rum became the currency of the colony, hence the phrase “a rum state.” Alcohol control gave political power. Alcohol was also reportedly involved in Australia’s only military coup – the Rum Rebellion in 1808.
Alcohol has had many different meanings over the years. Wine, brandy, and beer have all been considered good supplements to invalids in Australia and other countries. Alcohol was once considered a healthy, good food. Lewis points out that alcohol has been consumed as a sacrament.
Wine is not healthy. Alex Ranaldi
The first temperance groups appeared in Australia in the 1830s. Initially, they advocated moderation but eventually demanded prohibition. They were associated with Christian churches and seen as a reaction by the middle class to the rise in the consumption of spirits among the lower classes due to the industrialization of distilling and fear that the workers would be more dangerous if they drank.
The temperance movement reached its peak during World War I and then again in the 1930s when alcohol consumption dropped dramatically throughout the English-speaking countries. After World War II, there was a backlash to the anti-alcohol campaign. The drinking rate began to rise again, along with the growing prosperity and cultural changes such as the changing roles of women and European immigration.
Drinking “civilized” – with food and in moderation — became the norm. In the 1960s, wine became more popular, and Australia introduced the wine cask. In the 1980s, the Niewenhausen Report in Victoria promoted the liberalization of licensing. The successive Victorian governments were so taken with this that two new licenses for liquor were granted on average every day starting in 1986.
Image from shutterstock.com. Binge drinking is back in style. Image taken from shutterstock.com
As large alcohol producers increased their product range, boosted their production, diversified their advertising, and allied with major sports teams and media outlets, civilized consumption hasn’t remained the norm. In the past two decades, binge drinking has once again become fashionable.
The harm that these drinkers cause themselves and a large part of the population is preventable.
There’s no need to live this way. The history of Australia shows that the overall average rate of alcohol consumption can change dramatically over time. Drinking habits are also highly adaptable.
