Rates of heavy drinking in Aotearoa New Zealand are starting to decline, matching trends seen in Europe. This may reflect greater awareness of the harm caused by alcohol, as well as financial pressures and the reduced affordability of alcohol products.
Despite this modest drop in consumption, inequity in the damage from alcohol remains, with more people living in deprivation, and more Māori still drinking heavily and experiencing disproportionate harm – including fetal alcohol syndrome disorder (FASD).
This is even more so among women than men. Women living in deprivation are twice as likely to be drinking heavily than those not in deprivation.
