This story was first published on Every Moment Matters – Community Stories. You can read it here. As a clinical psychologist, Dr Vanessa Spiller knew she had the tools to support Dylan when she and her partner welcomed him into their home as a baby. While it became clear that Dylan’s diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) meant there were some challenges for him growing up, Vanessa said his charming personality shone through, especially when he focused on his passions like BMX riding. Vanessa shares her experience and discusses the role parents and carers can play in supporti ..read more

Anyone struggling with alcohol should be able to seek help without being inundated with aggressive and targeted online ads plastered across their social media accounts, or as they browse a website.   But right now, every phone is a bottle shop and a billboard, making it almost impossible for people trying to cut back to avoid rampant alcohol advertising.  New data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) shows more and more people are seeking treatment and support for alcohol each year.   In 2022-23, the proportion of people seeking help for alcohol a ..read more

New data released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) shows that the proportion of people seeking help for alcohol as their principal drug of concern is the highest in a decade. Alcohol is the most common principal drug of concern people receive treatment for (42.5 per cent) compared to any other drug, followed by amphetamines (24 per cent), cannabis (17 per cent) and heroin (4.5 per cent). Over the past 20 years the number of people who accessed treatment for alcohol as a common principal drug of concern has increased from 48,500 people in 2003-04 to 92,417 people i ..read more

Content warning: This story contains references to death, alcohol use and other sensitive issues. Since Rachel’s son Dylan passed away at 26-years-old from alcoholic liver disease, she has ensured his legacy will inform real action to help others facing alcohol harms. At 18, Dylan developed a dependency on alcohol to cope with mental ill-health, but by his mid-twenties “it had taken everything from him”. Watch Rachel share Dylan’s experience and explain why she’s calling for health warning labels on alcoholic products. To read more from Rachel, check out her article on the legacy Dylan wanted ..read more

Content warning: This story contains references to death, liver disease and alcohol use  Alex Bagnara knew that Greg* had been struggling with alcohol for years.   But when she boarded a plane at Canberra Airport with her longtime friend and his parents, siblings and their children, Alex could never have imagined that she would end up flying home next to an empty seat.   Greg had seemed sure he could handle the trip and was looking forward to holidaying at a resort in a warmer climate in the winter of 2023.   It became clear, upon arriving at their destinatio ..read more

Everyone deserves to be safe when they go online to connect, stay informed and be entertained.   But as the ways we use digital technology have changed, alcohol companies have developed new approaches to marketing their harmful and addictive products online.  These companies collect hundreds of data points on community members and use them to send highly targeted ads for their harmful and addictive products.  We know that people who are trying to cut back or stop drinking alcohol often feel like they can’t escape this relentless alcohol marketing as they go about their daily liv ..read more

Paige shares her experience of coming to realise how alcohol was impacting her partner, and the steps she took next. It is not always clear at first that our loved ones are having a difficult time with alcohol, because it can creep up on us over time. But, when it is identified, many of us want to give them the support they need to quit or cut back.  Watch Paige’s story as she talks about the decision to have an open conversation with her partner, set new boundaries, and help him seek support.  Click here to learn how you can support your loved ones who are going through a difficult ..read more

When our community comes together and speaks openly about alcohol harms and how we can take steps to reduce our alcohol intake, the impacts can be life-changing. Over the past couple of years, our team has collaborated with women from diverse backgrounds through our Voices of Change and Every Moment Matters initiatives. On this International Women’s Day, we are looking back on some of the candid conversations we’ve had with these amazing women – and the change they are creating. ‘The stories that we tell … we got to get it out there for people to listen’ Aunty Helen Fejo-Frith is one of the s ..read more

The less alcohol you drink, the lower the risk of harm.  That’s why the Australian Alcohol Guidelines recommend healthy adults limit alcohol use to no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any one day.  The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has formulated the guidelines to keep the lifetime risk of dying from alcohol for an average, healthy Australian adult to 1 in 100.  But new data shows 6.6 million Australians aged 14 and over are exceeding the guidelines, and almost one in ten people (9.2%) who drink alcohol do so at a l ..read more

New data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has reported that alcohol continues to harm millions of Australians, with 31 per cent (6.6 million) of people aged 14 and over drinking at higher risk levels.  The National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2022-23 (NDSHS) published today, surveyed 21,500 people, and also found that almost one in ten Australians (9.2%) who drink alcohol do so at a level that may indicate an alcohol use disorder, but only 12.5% of them have been in a treatment program in the last 12 months.  Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education ..read more