Australia declared as drunkest country in the world by Global Drug Survey

A recent survey revealed that Australia is the drunkest country in the world, with Aussies getting tipsy nearly twice as many times during COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020. According to an international survey, Australians drank to the point of inebriation 27 times a year on average, nearly double the global average of 15. However, almost a quarter of Australians also admitted to regretting becoming drunk. In the Global Drug Survey, almost 32,000 adults from 22 nations were asked about their drug and alcohol intake during the lockdown in 2020. In addition, Australian participants were more than three times the global average to seek emergency treatment for their drinking - 3.9% compared to 1.2% globally, stated the survey. 

It is pertinent to mention here that women in Australia drank more alcohol than men, debunking the assumption that Australian men are the hardest drinkers. According to the Survey, Denmark and Finland shared the second position, with participants becoming intoxicated an average of 24 times each year. Meanwhile, The United States finished in third, with respondents getting drunk at an average of 23 times per year in 2020, followed by the United Kingdom (22.5 times per year) and Canada - 22 times. Canada, Ireland, France, Sweden, The Netherlands, and Hungary were the other countries in the top 10 nations. 

Dr Monica Barratt, a researcher with the Global Drug Survey, believes Australia's high rate of drunkenness is linked to the majority of the country avoiding COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020. With the exception of Victoria, most states and territories saw only brief and sharp lockdowns, with few cases or deaths, allowing hospitality venues to stay open and activities to go on. "This could be related to Australia being the country with the highest rate of getting drunk," Barratt told the Latch, an Australian media organization. 

Mexico has lowest drinking rates followed by New Zealand

According to Commonwealth Bank data, total alcohol spending surged in March 2020, probably as a result of alcohol stockpiling during the COVID-19 restrictions. Surprisingly, New Zealand, Australia's nearest neighbour, has one of the lowest drinking rates, according to the Survey. Kiwi participants drank an average of ten times in 2020. Mexicans, on the other hand, were the least likely to become highly intoxicated, with participants being drunk on average 8.9 times per year, noted the Survey's result. 

Image: Unsplash/Representative