Findings from a new University of Otago, Christchurch study suggest alcohol harm is becoming more prevalent among older New Zealanders and less so for young people.
Alcohol-related presentations are placing a significant but preventable burden on already over-stretched hospital emergency departments across the country.
The impact of alcohol in the ED - published today in the New Zealand Medical Journal - looked at alcohol related presentations to Christchurch Hospital emergency department in November/December of 2013, 2017 and 2022.
Emergency physician and researcher Dr Laura Joyce spoke to Breakfast about the findings.
Patients were approached and asked if they’d had alcohol in the four hours prior to arriving at ED or if their presentation was thought to be due to alcohol.
Overall, 412 patients consented to take part.
“ED really is the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, so alcohol related harm is what we're seeing with these patients, so we're wanting to know how is that occurring and therefore how can we reduce that harm,” said lead researcher Dr Laura Joyce, who is also a Christchurch Hospital emergency physician.
A key finding of the study was a change in age profile towards older New Zealanders going to ED with alcohol-related issues.
Over the three time periods, the median age of participants increased to 39 years. Specifically, in the 25-54 age group, alcohol presentations rose from 29.9 per cent (in 2013) to 40.1 per cent (in 2022).
In the over 54 age group it rose from 11.6 per cent (in 2013) to 23.9 per cent (in 2022).
“Although media attention often focuses on young people drinking in pubs and bars on a Saturday night, this is not the case in terms of ED presentations in this study,” Dr Joyce said.
“Our findings are in line with other research showing that over one-third of older New Zealanders are drinking at levels which may result in harm. This is concerning, as people in this age group are more likely to have additional co-morbidities and the potential for medication interactions.”
There was a drop in young people turning up to the emergency department with alcohol-related issues.
In 2013 young people aged 25 and under made up 33.6% of presentations, dropping to 19.3% in 2022.
Overall, excess of alcohol as a reason for attending the ED rose from just over 5% in 2013 to 11% in 2022.
Dr Rose Crossin, a co-author of the study and senior lecturer in public health at the University of Otago, Christchurch said the findings highlight the fact alcohol policies aren’t working effectively to reduce harm.
In, 2022, 26.5% of those questioned admitted to having consumed 20 or more standard drinks in a single occasion.
“If people are showing up in the ED consuming in some cases 20 or more standard drinks, that tells us that we've got a problem with alcohol-related harm and with our drinking culture in New Zealand, but this is something that can be changed, harms are preventable,” she said.
Crossin said NZ needed to look at what’s driving the alcohol environment in Aotearoa.
Alcohol-related presentations among younger people are decreasing, new research has found.
"We've got alcohol that is exceedingly cheap, widely marketed, it is widely accessible and that comes down to what is able to be regulated in the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act and so I think we really need an update to that that is genuinely aiming to reduce alcohol-related harm and that restricts alcohol availability and its ability to be marketed, she said.
"This would then change our drinking culture over time in New Zealand because at the moment if alcohol is everywhere people do follow those environmental cues.”
Joyce said emergency departments across the country are overcrowded and if people are drinking safely there’s no reason they need to be coming to hospital.
“We know that everyone comes to harm when ED’s are overcrowded. There is a 10% increase in morbidity and mortality that is harm when our departments are overwhelmed and when they are overcrowded, if 10 percent of that is due to alcohol that is something that we can change that is something that's preventable,” she said.
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