You have probably read numerous times that Australia has a “national culture of alcohol” or is a “drinking culture.” A very recent article headline trumpeted, “Australian Navy warned to end culture of alcohol-fuelled debauchery.”1 Vice-Admiral Russ Crane wants total cultural reform and said that mariners would be subjected to mandatory drug testing and breath tests, and curfews would be initiated unless alcohol induced sordid behaviour on the ships while in ports did not cease.
Alcohol binges are not the only problem the Navy has faced. In December 2010, a Sydney Australian naval base was raided over drug trafficking claims. During the past 5 years, almost 600 Navy personnel were caught taking illicit drugs and steroids.2
The Navy is certainly not the only organisation that has an alcohol and drug abuse problem. It is just one of the more recent ones to report on the extent of the abuse. The 600 are only the people that were caught, and chances are many more binge on alcohol and abuse substances. Despite the illegal drug problems, alcohol remains the drug of choice that pervades the culture and thus the Australian workplace.
Alcohol is legal and therefore does not have the stigma attached to it like illegal substance abuse. We call someone abusing illegal or prescription drugs an addict, whilst the intoxicated person is fun loving. Alcohol is associated with celebrations, socialising, mealtimes, parties, and as a source of government revenue, all of which are positive events. We tend not to think of the devastation alcoholism brings to families and its impact on the workplace.
When you begin to analyse the numbers, the negative impact alcohol has on Australian society is astonishing and saddening.3
- Over 3,000 alcohol related deaths annually
- Average age of Australian alcohol related deaths is 50
- Leading cause of alcohol related death was liver cirrhosis followed by road crash injury
- 600 people die annually due to injury and disease caused by risky drinking
- 70,000 people annually are victims of assaults where alcohol is involved
- 70% of the population experienced harms from a stranger within the last 12 months where excessive drinking is involved
Harms refer to any unpleasant or dangerous event where someone was abusing alcohol and acted wrongly. For example, harm includes needing to avoid someone who is drunk, feeling unsafe in a public place, or being verbally abused. These harms can occur in a public place or a workplace when an intoxicated person is present.
There are tangible social costs to alcohol abuse involving the workforce:4
- $3,210.7 million for reduction in workforce
- $367.9 million for absenteeism
- $1,423.9 million for premature death
- $146.9 million for sickness
One of the misconceptions is that only frequent drinkers or alcoholics cause harm. That is simply not true. Even occasional intoxication can lead to substantial harm. In fact, the likelihood of harm from sporadic drinking episodes is greater than it is for regular drinkers.5 In real terms this means that the person who drinks during lunch at work or gets drunk for the first time in a year at an office party the night before is more likely to experience a harm like a road accident, physical or verbal altercation, or even death.
Clearly there are serious workplace implications related to the Australian culture of alcohol. Up to 35.4 percent of Australians consume alcohol at risky levels at least once a year, whilst two-thirds of all alcohol is consumed at a risky level.6 It’s important to understand that even short term drinking bouts can produce long lasting deficits in learning and memory and eventually brain and liver damage.
In the workplace, drinking on-the-job or in private can cause a number of work related problems. These problems include a higher risk of falls, road accidents, loss of work equipment and supplies, absenteeism, and lower productivity. Alcohol has also been linked to assaults, increased health insurance rates, depression and anxiety, injuries and financial problems. When employees have financial problems they are more likely to steal from the employer or co-workers.
The national culture of alcohol doesn’t stop at the entrances to workplaces, or in the case of maritime, when a ship is boarded. The employee attitude towards alcohol stays with the employee as he or she reports to work. Faithfully administering random and alcohol testing is one way to minimise the possibility that the culture does not become normalised in the workplace. With the development of portable testing equipment giving reliable results like the Lion SD 500 or the breathalyser, testing can be completed at any employer site whether it’s a ship, mine, construction site, tarmac, manufacturing plant, office, warehouse, trucking facility and more.
Mediscreen at http://mediscreen.net.au/ offers onsite drug and alcohol testing support and services based on years of expertise. Employers can improve the safety of the workplace with the knowledge that the testing program meets national legislated dictates. Call Mediscreen today on (+61) 1300 79 70 40
References
1. Malkin, B. (2011, July 6). Australian Navy warned to end culture of alcohol-fuelled debauchery. Retrieved July 6, 2011, from The Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/8403780/Australian-Navy-warned-to-end-culture-of-alcohol-fuelled-debauchery.html
2. Ibid
3. NSW Government Health. (2011). The numbers behind what we drink. Retrieved June 30, 2011, from When to Say When: http://www.whentosaywhen.com.au/numbersbehind.htm
4. Collins, David J. and Helen M Lapsley, University of Queensland and Unversity of New South Wales. (2008). The Avoidable Costs of Alcohol Abuse in Australia and the Potential Benefits of Effective Policies to Reduce the Social Costs of Alcohol. Retrieved June 28, 2011, from Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/drugstrategy/publishing.nsf/Content/0A14D387E42AA201CA2574B3000028A8/$File/mono70.pdf
5. Department of Health and Ageing. (2009, April 24). National Alcohol Strategy 2006-2011: Priority Areas – intoxication, and public safety and amenity. Retrieved June 27, 2011, from Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/alcohol/publishing.nsf/Content/nas-06-09
6. Ibid