First ever national survey of attitudes and behaviours in amateur sporting clubs

National research released today shows that excessive drinking in Australia's sporting clubs – cricket, football, surf life saving and tennis – has reached dangerous levels.

Mr Daryl Smeaton, Chief Executive Officer of the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation (AER), said "Sporting clubs are at the centre of social life for many Australians.  The research shows the important role that alcohol plays in club culture with nearly 80% of respondents reporting that alcohol is vital to club camaraderie.  This reinforces the role clubs must play in promoting responsible drinking."

For men aged 18-30 drinking at sporting clubs

• 1 in five are consuming 10 or more drinks in a night *1;
• The average number of drinks consumed is five a night*2;
• 45% are drinking at a level which will harm their long term health leading to conditions such as heart disease, cancer and mental heath problems ;
• The average time spent drinking is just over two hours; and
• Over three quarters drive home from their sports club and 30% have had too much to drink to drive.

For women aged 18-30 drinking at sporting clubs

• 6% are consuming ten or more drinks in a night*;
• The average number of drinks consumed is 3 a night*
• 40% are drinking at a level which will harm their long term health;
• The average time spent drinking is less than 1 ¾ hours;
• 80% drive home from their sports club and 30% have had too much to drink and drive.

Mr Smeaton said "Australia has a sporting culture which encourages heavy drinking.  But most people do not consider that poor alcohol management can ruin a club.  Unfortunately, binge drinking, under age drinking and violent behaviour do drive members away, affected performance and damage reputations.

John Rogerson, Director, Good Sports, said "Many sporting clubs hold licenses to serve alcohol, and depend heavily on the revenue from sales.

“Clubs are struggling with the balance of responsible alcohol consumption and the bottom line of club survival and that is where the Good Sports Accreditation Program (GSAP) can help.

The GSAP, developed by the Australian Drug Foundation and funded by AER for $4 million offers a multi-level accreditation program where clubs have to comply with certain conditions such as offering non and low alcohol drinks and substantial food at events, safe transport strategies, fully accredited bar staff and smoke-free facilities.

Clubs are supported in the program through a network of community partners and it is free to all participating organisations.  In Victoria, where Good Sports has been running for three years, over 660 community sporting clubs are involved.  Nationally there are 1,000 clubs involved.

Mr Rogerson said, “Our experience has shown the Good Sports Accreditation Program develops a culture that attracts families and younger players, reduces binge and underage drinking, and leads to lower incidences of offences such as drink driving, violence and assault.

“We also help the club make the transition financially viable by increasing bar sales from low and non alcohol drinks, increased membership and numbers of people who attend club events due to improved reputation and enhanced sponsorship opportunities resulting from the Good Sports brand. 

Mr Smeaton said “The Foundation is spending over $80 million to support community programs which tackle alcohol and licit substance misuse and which provide enduring benefits for communities throughout Australia.  The Foundation has recently launched a public fund to ensure that we can continue the fight against alcohol misuse, minimise the damage in our communities and help save lives. 

“With the help of businesses and individuals we hope to continue these efforts for many years to come."

About AER

The Foundation is an independent company that was set up in 2001 with a grant from the Australian Government.  Its charter is to enhance the capacity of the alcohol and other drugs sector to address alcohol and other licit substance misuse and to promote responsible consumption of alcohol.

For further information contact:  Jenny Tear  0438 630 881

The Executive Summary is available for download (PDF, 120 KB).

Date: 2004-12-02