Drinking and drug taking patterns of 8,516 adults in Sydney

Data on the drinking and drug taking patterns of 8,516 adults who had been through a Medicheck screening were analysed. This is the largest sample studied in Australia to date. The alcohol intake pattern of at least 29% of males and 9% of females puts them "at risk" of physical and/or psychosocial complications; 11% of males and 2% of females were considered to be at high risk. Very few heavy drinkers considered themselves to have a drinking problem and even fewer had been told by their doctor that they were problem drinkers. One-quarter of all the women took either psychotropic drugs or analgesics regularly; 19% of females, compared with 7% of males, took one or more of the psychotropic drugs (mainly tranquillizers) regularly, and 9% of females compared with 3% of males took analgesics regularly. Approximately one-third of both males and females were current smokers, but more males than females had given up smoking. The important role to be played by general practioners in the prevention and early treatment of drug dependence is highlighted by these findings.