ALMOST 6,000 Australians died from alcohol-attributable disease in a single year, about one every 90 minutes, according to new research released by Curtin University's National Drug Research Institute (NDRI).
The National Alcohol Indicators project revealed an estimated 5,785 Australians died from alcohol-attributable causes in 2015 with cancer responsible for 2,106 (36%) of deaths while injuries, cardiovascular diseases and digestive diseases were the next leading cause (17%, about 1,000 deaths each).
Alcohol-caused breast cancer (18%) and liver disease (15%) were the most common among women, while among men, liver disease (18%) and bowel cancer (10%) were the most common.
Hospitalisations attributable to alcohol exceeded 144,000 in 2012-13, an average of about 400 a day with the main causes recorded as alcohol dependence (21%), falls (12%) and alcohol abuse (10%).
Education and research director at Cancer Council WA Terry Slevin said, "It is likely most people will be quite shocked to learn that more than one third of alcohol related deaths are due to cancer".
Visit ndri.curtin.edu.au for access.
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