Unbeer-lievable! Boozy Aussies who knock back 11 schooners twice a week still think they're responsible drinkers Australian's who drink alcohol just to get drunk feel they are responsible drinkers Study suggests of those who drink to get drunk over two thirds see no issues Six million Australians who admit to actively drinking alcohol only to get drunk Study also found many Australians aren't aware of the true health risks of alcoholBy Adam Mccleery For Daily Mail Australia Published: 02:13 BST, 8 May 2019 | Updated: 02:16 BST, 8 May 2019 Viewcomments The majority of Australians who consume alcohol to get drunk at least twice a week believe they are responsible drinkers, a new survey suggests. The Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) released its Annual Alcohol Poll on Wednesday morning, which revealed nearly six million Australians only drink to get drunk. Australians were asked if they felt they were responsible drinkers, with the overwhelming majority - 87 per cent - answering yes. Of the nearly six million Australians who drink to get drunk, 78 per cent of them also consider themselves to be responsible drinkers. Half of all Australians who drink alcohol do so to get drunk and still think they are responsible drinkers a new study suggests (stock image) 'What ten years of polling clearly demonstrates is that the majority of Australians remain confused about low and high-risk alcohol consumption,' the study read. 'It is no wonder Australians are confused, with phrases such as 'drink responsibly' and 'drink in moderation' now commonplace and regularly used by the alcohol industry.' The number of Australians drinking just to get drunk has risen from 35 to 47 per cent since 2011. A quarter of those admitted they drank to get drunk once a month or more. FARE Chief Executive Michael Thorn says the 2019 report shows a steady climb over the past decade of people drinking to get drunk. 'Alcohol harm has continued to increase despite the fact that overall consumption has remained relatively constant over the past 10 years, with no significant fluctuations,' Mr Thorn said. The Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education released its Annual Alcohol Poll on Wednesday morning which revealed nearly six million Australians only drink to get drunk (stock image) Countries that consume the most alcohol per capita (per litre) Moldova (17.4 liters per capita over 15+ years) Belarus (17.1) Lithuania (16.2) Russia (14.5) Czech Republic (14.1) Romania (12.9) Serbia (12.9) Australia (12.6) Portugal (12.5) Slovakia (12.5) Source: World Health Organisation 'The findings highlight the dangerous lack of clarity about the long-terms risks of drinking alcohol, including mouth, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, liver and breast cancer.' Less than half of those polled said they were aware of the link between alcohol use and 'mouth and throat cancer (29 per cent) and breast cancer (16 per cent)'. However one third of the respondents said they consider alcohol to be the drug that causes the most harm in Australia, less than illegal narcotics and cigarettes. Mr Thorn also highlighted how the study had shown many Australian drinkers were unaware of the differences between drinking responsibly and drinking in excess. 'The poll results clearly demonstrate how ambiguous and subjective the concept of 'responsible drinking' actually is, when 68 per cent of drinkers who consume 11 or more standard drinks on a typical occasion, consider themselves responsible drinkers,' he said. The number of Australians drinking just to get drunk has risen from 35 to 47 per cent since 2011, a quarter of those admitted they drank to get drunk once a month or more (file photo) Despite the startling figures there has been no noticeable rise in overall alcohol consumption across the country. The study also found the confusion around the health risks of binge drinking was taking a heavy toll on the population. 'One in 22 Australians die from alcohol-related causes, yet the community remains in the dark about the range of life-threatening diseases that alcohol causes,' Mr Thorn said. 'The poll has given us 10 years of valuable data that shows what goes wrong when we don't have strong preventive health policies and programs in place.' The concept of health warnings on alcohol labels was supported by 76 per cent of those polled while 50 per cent supported a tax increase on alcohol to offset 'alcohol-related harm'. 'A government that implements these priority actions will have the support of the country, with more than four in five Australians believing that people have a right to know about alcohol-related harm,' Mr Thorn said. ANNUAL ALCOHOL POLL'S KEY FINDINGS 66% of people believe that Australia has a problem with excess drinking or alcohol abuse. 75% of Australians believe that more needs to be done to reduce the harm caused by alcohol. Fewer than half of Australians are aware of the link between alcohol use and stroke (41%), mouth and throat cancer (29%) and breast cancer (16%). 53% of people believe that alcohol-related problems in Australia will worsen or remain the same over the next five to ten years. 47% of Australian drinkers consume alcohol to get drunk. 87% of Australian drinkers consider themselves a responsible drinker. 78% of Australian drinkers who consume alcohol to get drunk, consider themselves a responsible drinker. 64% of Australians drinkers who consume alcohol to get drunk at least twice a week consider themselves a responsible drinker. 79% of Australian drinkers who consume six to ten standard drinks on a typical occasion consider themselves a responsible drinker. 68% of Australian drinkers who consume 11 or more standard drinks on a typical occasion, consider themselves a responsible drinker. 38% of Australians have been affected by alcohol-related violence, including 18% who have been victims of alcohol-related violence. 23% of parents or guardians with a child under 18 report that their child had been harmed or put at risk of harm because of someone else’s drinking. More than 80% of Australians believe people have a right to know about a wide range of alcohol-related harms.Source: Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility