BOREDOM is a major factor driving people to drink alcohol in regional Australian centres like Orange, a survey has revealed.
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Almost one in four people in regional areas admitted to being unable to go for longer than a week without drinking, saying there was a lack of fun alternative activities.
This compares to only 10 per cent of those living in the city.
Lyndon Community addiction physician Dr Rod MacQueen said boredom was an excuse that many people in Orange used for underlying drinking problems.
“We hear that a lot,” he said.
“The reason people give for doing things is not often why they do it.”
Dr MacQueen said clients who had given up alcohol for a period of time had found that there was plenty of alcohol-free activities in Orange to keep them occupied such as fishing, camping, hunting or growing a vegetable patch.
Associating booze with fun activities is also something that drives many people to look to alcohol for entertainment.
“If alcohol is fun, people think more alcohol is more fun, but surveys show that without alcohol people can have more fun and do just as crazy things.”
As part of Taste Orange chief executive officer Kim Currie’s job is promoting Orange, she knows there are plenty of alcohol-free activities people can immerse themselves in around Orange.
She feels pinpointing the underlying issue of alcohol dependency is the real concern rather than lack of entertainment in the city.
“We need to identify why people look towards alcohol and feel they don’t have fulfilling things to do,” she said.
“It’s a bit simplistic just to put down your drink and go for a walk instead.
“We need to look at why it is so acceptable to drink to excess.”
The FebFast survey that questioned 1009 Australians aged between 20 and 69 on drinking in Regional Australia
19 per cent of regional NSW drinkers admit to drinking more than they should.
More than one in 10 regional NSW drinkers are drinking beyond the recommended intake during the festive season, consuming more than 15 standard drinks a week.
16 per cent of regional NSW drinkers splash their cash on alcohol during the festive season spending anywhere between $300 and $900 on alcohol.
Having a few alcoholic drinks makes more than half of regional NSW drinkers feel more comfortable socialising with relatives over the festive season. Just under half of these (45 per cent) consume more than four drinks during a festive family function.