Australians all let us rejoice, for we are young, free and, most importantly, entitled to a summer long weekend!
As the Australia Day public holiday falls on a Monday this year, our nation of proud pub patrons and backyard barbeque-ers are ready to party for the long weekend.
But will we use our extended break to celebrate the cultural diversity of our country? Or, will we use Australia Day as an excuse to drink ourselves into a stupor?
Spokesperson for the , Natasha Murray, says there’s a strong chance that many of us will drink to excess on 26 January.
“I was actually chatting with a friend yesterday and I asked them what they were doing for Australia Day,” says Murray, an Accredited Practising Dietitian.
“The response was because Australia Day occurs on a [long weekend] this year, they could spend the rest of their weekend hungover.”
Although this throw-away comment was a one-off, Murray believes many Australians will engage in binge drinking on Friday.
“It’s part of the Australian culture to drink but by drinking to excess, you are doing your body harm,” says Murray.
not only damages your liver in the long-term but it can increase your risk of other physical and mental health conditions. Drinkwise also warns that binge drinking could lead to memory loss, diarrhea, vomiting and fatal alcohol poisoning.
Alcohol plus Aussie culture
The overlap between Australian culture and alcoholic consumption is not only well established but to some degree, it’s celebrated even at the upper levels of society. Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke became internationally famous for holding a world record for the ‘fastest drinking of a yard of beer’ in 1994. Earlier this year, the 88-year-old also received a standing ovation for skolling a beer at an . Even our current PM posted a photo of himself on social media while he held his granddaughter in 2017.
It’s part of the Australian culture to drink but by drinking to excess, you are doing your body harm.
According to reports from the , one-in-five Aussie adults regularly consume more than two standard drinks per day on average, exceeding the lifetime alcohol risk guidelines.
Meanwhile, have previously warned that ambulance calls for people aged under 25, who are drunk, double on Australia Day every year.
So how much is too much alcohol?
The give both healthy adult men and women the green light to consume no more two standard alcoholic drinks on any one day if we want to reduce our lifetime risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury.
We are also advised against drinking more than four standard drinks in any one sitting.
“One standard drink is equal to one standard can of beer or 375 ml of mid-strength beer. That’s the same as around 100 ml of wine,” says Murray. “But keep in mind, a lot of restaurants serve standard drinks of wine at 150 ml so one glass of wine might be eve be worth 1.5 standard drinks.”
The duration of a ‘sitting’ varies from person-to-person, as it will depend on your metabolism, height, weight and gender. The rule of thumb is that it takes the body around one hour to work through or metabolise one standard drink.
Murray advises that party-goers who don’t want to drink alcohol to check out the mocktail list at their local bar or club, or try a flavoured water.
“Make sure that if you are drinking alcohol, you’re also eating. But try not to have too many salty foods as it makes you thirsty and you’ll want to drink more.”
At the end of the day, Murray says, the point of a long weekend is to have fun but always remember to listen to your body”.
“Alcohol changes the way you think and make decisions, and lowers your inhibitions… You can also die from alcohol poisoning.
“This is something you need to realise if you are drinking in excess this Australia Day.”
Read before you sip (or skull)
Eat well: How much alcohol is OK?
