The number of teetotallers is rising, with young people leading the way

ALCOHOL abuse and its social toll might seem at an all-time high, but there is another more encouraging trend at play.

Rachel Nock, 20, and Tracey Ryan, 23, have decided they will never drink alcohol in their lives. Pics Tara Croser.

AUSTRALIA is experiencing the rise of the teetotaller.

While research shows an increase in people of all ages who don’t drink alcohol, it is the young who are leading the way.

Data from the latest National Drug Strategy Household Survey shows the number of non-drinkers in 2013 was 13.8 per cent, compared with 12.1 per cent in the previous survey, in 2010.

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But the rise of generation teetotal is evident in the large spike in teenagers saying no to a drink.

In 2013, the survey showed 72 per cent of 12- to 17-year-olds abstained, while in 2010, only 64 per cent said no to alcohol.

While there was a 2.6 per cent increase in young adults aged 18 to 24 eschewing alcohol since 2010, fortysomethings didn’t fare so well, with a 1.4 per cent increase.

Those aged 70 or over saw a 1.1 per cent increase in the number of teetotallers. And more pregnant women are passing on alcohol.

“If you go back far enough, you will see that there were lower levels of alcohol use in the early 1990s. They then rose to what appeared to be a peak around 2004 and have since declined,” Queensland Alcohol and Drug Research and Education Centre director Professor Jake Najman said.

Despite the abstinence data, the professor believes many people are still not educated about the health risks associated with alcohol.

“Few seem to be aware that alcohol is a carcinogen. Few are aware that more people die as a consequence of alcohol use than all illicit drugs combined,” he said.

The Queensland founder of Hello Sunday Morning, Chris Raine, says business is booming, with 38,000 members – a larger community in Australia than Alcoholics Anonymous.

“We are very heartened that the younger generation are finding the strength to stand up against social pressures around alcohol. We don’t preach to people to not drink, but we encourage them to take a break from the drinking culture and to drink responsibly so it doesn’t have adverse effects on their lives,” he said.

While anti-drinking and safe-drinking campaigns are having an impact on some Australian youths, there is still work to be done, says Brendan Pont from the Queensland Network of Alcohol and Other Drug Agencies.

“What is still alarming from the report is that 18.2 per cent of people aged 14 were still drinking at levels that exceeded the national guidelines on lifetime risk,” he said.

Brisbane’s Rachel Nock, 20, is a teetotaller who has never consumed alcohol.

The registered nurse has worked in a renal unit and witnessed first-hand the damage that comes from drinking too much.

“I will never drink. I am always the sober driver when I am out with friends. They love that, and I’m under no pressure to drink. I’ve seen how people can behave while intoxicated and have no desire to put myself in that situation,” she said.

At 24, Tracey Ryan, who is also from Brisbane, has never had an alcoholic drink.

“It’s my belief that it’s not good to drink, and I plan to grow old never having touched alcohol,” she said.

Originally published as The number of teetotallers is rising, with young people leading the way