We have a problem with booze? - Most Aussies say yes!

According to Government figures every year approximately 3,100 people die as a result of excessive alcohol consumption and around 72,000 people are hospitalised. Apart from the damage to individuals and families the annual cost to the Australian community of alcohol-related social problems is estimated to be in the region of $7.6 billion.

Awareness of the problem has prompted the Australian government to place binge drinking on the national agenda and new research commissioned by a public health group has found an increasing number of Australians are concerned about the issue of binge drinking.

The research by the Alcohol Education Rehabilitation Foundation (AERF) has revealed that as many as 80% of the public believe Australia has a national drinking problem - this is up from 63% a year ago.

Scott Wilson chairman of AERF says the majority of respondents - well over 70% want more action from government and think that government needs to do more in terms of advertising and of sponsorship.

Mr Wilson says there are a range of things that the government can do to try to address some of the issues and he suggests that the swing in attitude can be largely attributed to government efforts to put binge drinking on the national agenda.

Mr Wilson says awareness is always the first step towards change, and this indicates quite a remarkable shift in awareness within little more than 12 months but there is still a way to go before this attitudinal shift translates into firm action on the part of the community, the government and the alcohol industry.

Mr Wilson says it is encouraging to finally see such widespread acknowledgment amongst the Australian public that we need to do something about our drinking problems.

The research found that almost 100% per cent of respondents agreed the responsibility to help communities with alcohol problems should be shared between governments, alcohol manufacturers, alcohol retailers, individuals and the health and not-for-profit sector.